A Perfectly Normal Human Night
by billismine
Summary: This story is told exclusively from Bill's point of view. Four Chapters. While being tortured at the hands of his maker Lorena Krasiki, in Russell's slaves quarters, Bill thinks back to the events on a special summer night when he knew meeting Sookie would change his 'undead' life...forever. All the regular disclaimers apply. Warning: This story contains mature language/themes
1. Chapter 1

A Perfectly Normal Human Night

[Season Three. This story is told in Bill's point of view. It opens as he is being tortured at the hands of Lorena Krasiki in Russell's house. Bill thinks back to a special summer night when he knew being with Sookie would change his immortal life …forever. 'Channeling' vampire Bill was a very challenging task, but one I found very satisfying. I hope you will be thoroughly entertained by the romantic and dramatic events that happen. Four Chapters. Disclaimer: Parts of this story contain mature themes/language. As always no copyright infringement intended. These characters belong to Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and HBO. I am only borrowing them to tell a little story….. Enjoy! J ]

Chapter One

I knew I was drifting in and out of consciousness. My tenuous grasp on the physical world seemed to be floating away from me at last. All the cares and superficial worries with it. My body strangely floating above me…..to the rafters. And away beyond the rafters. I could feel the pull of the moon. My earthly body needed to rise up and away. Up, up from the earth, to join with some further immortal, everlasting existence.

My blood was seeping from every cut and open orifice. I could no longer feel any physical pain from the chaffing and the burning brought on by the silver chains that bound my wrists to the slaves' quarters floor. The unimaginable pain of Lorena's torturous instruments, had thoroughly completed their work, numbing my body into submission, over and over again. I had drifted to the point where I believed that absolution had finally come. I no longer wanted to open my eyes.

I did not want to see Lorena's black, lifeless eyes as she returned over me to exact every fresh incision, to keep away any healing of her handy work. Her ashen, tear-stained face looming over me, again and again.

I knew I was beyond hope. Beyond caring about myself. And I looked forward only to the Great Dawning when I would finally meet my Ultimate Maker.

There was only one distinct earthly pain left for me. A pain of the mind, not the body. A pain still ringing in my vampire consciousness. And in the middle of my very human soul. I knew that my very last thought, this side of the grave, would be of Sookie.

I prayed to God that someone would help her….. I prayed that somehow Sookie would live. That she would make it out of Russell's house alive!

Even after all of Lorena's torture, I could still feel Sookie's fear flowing through my body like a faint alarm. Russell must have had her locked away into a room somewhere…. I could still sense how frightened and desperate she felt. I had even imagined that I heard her voice as she cried out my name. And it was killing me not to be free to go to her.

With my very last clear thought, I prayed a silent prayer for my beloved. A prayer to God for Sookie's sake.

Against the knowledge and the frustration that Sookie was in certain peril and I could do nothing about it, I could not defend her. Against my certainty that Lorena would most likely return a final time with a sharpened stake and end my misery once and for all, I decided to give myself some comfort.

The abject hopelessness of my circumstance was so great, knowing my body was stationary, my mind wanted to 'go' somewhere else.

Yes, my mind began to play a merciful and miraculous trick on me. In my mind, I started drifting back…..

Traveling back….in my mind…to a warm and special summer night in Bon Temps. Before Russell. Before Jessica. Before Gran was so cruelly and brutally taken from us. Before I ever thought it was possible that God would smile upon a vampire and deliver His most precious, most wonder gift to one such as me.

The gift of love.

There had not been any rain for quite a long while. The dusty, moisture-less state of our particular region had been the singularly first topic of conversation in Bon Temps. The leaves hung oppressively from their tree limbs. There was talk of water-rationing in the town. And no sign of rain expected in the foreseeable forecasts that we had been given.

A breeze at night was a rare thing. And on occasion when there was a breeze, it was not cool enough. Only blowing around the warmth of the air. We had had no relief from the stifling heat.

I remember I had wanted to wear a jacket again because it was only my second time calling on Sookie at her house. I did not want to look over-dressed. But I wanted to make the correct second impression, as well as the first. The first time had been fine. But it was important to me that Sookie and her grandmother saw me exhibiting all graciousness and the proper manners. I found the most lightweight jacket I owned to pull over my cotton shirt.

I arrived at Sookie's house just after sunset. I don't think I could have stayed away from her if I had tried to. And I did not want to try. If Sophie-Anne had said to me, 'your current assignment is scratched,' I would have thought of an excuse to remain in Bon Temps. In spite of everything, in spite of the real reason I had come back to my ancestral home, I knew I had to near her. No matter for how short the time.

I remember Gran's kind eyes and her welcoming smile at the screen door that night. Gran had waved and greeted me even before I had turned off the engine and stepped out of my car. I smiled at her as I ascended each porch step. Gran turned slightly and called over her shoulder back into the house.

"Sookie? _Sookie?_ Bill is here!" Gran said, smiling at me.

"Good evening, Mrs. Stackhouse," I said, joining her on the porch.

"OH good evening, Bill," Gran said, clutching her cotton kerchief to her chest;"Bill, it is just _so_ good to see you again! _My goodness! _Are those for Sookie? They are gorgeous!"

Before I had left my house, I had picked an armful of blue delphiniums that were still growing profusely on the side of my property since early spring. There were huge clumps of them together, spreading out all along the tree line and into the woods. I had picked a huge bunch of them and since I had no fancy tissue on hand, I had just wrapped them into some newspapers I had.

"They are beautiful," I said:"but they are not for your granddaughter…they are for _you."_

I held out the fragrant bunch of flowers to Gran. She looked up at me, her mouth open, her face beaming, cheeks turning a dark rosey red. She blushed like a school girl.

"_Oh, Bill!"_ Gran was grinning:"they are….just intoxicating! They smell _so good. _Oh, thank you so much, Bill. Thank you!"

"You are very welcome," I said.

Silently, Sookie had appeared at the screen door. She had stood there listening and watching my exchange with her grandmother. Had she thought for one moment that I did not know she was standing there? Not could I see her from the corner of my eye, I could smell Sookie before I evn arrived at the front door. The delicate scent of lavender and lilac. And the very sweetness of her blood.

I had smelled the mingling of all those scents in Merlotte's on the very first night I met her. Before she had walked over to me and asked 'what can I get for you tonight?' She did not want to know the true answer to that question.

It was a heady combination for me. All of those delicate scents mingling together to form one intoxicating aroma of its own. Her soap. Her hair wash. Her perfume. And the distinct smell of her sweet blood. All stirring together in my awareness.

Even in another hundred years, I would never forget it. The scent of her was particularly driving me crazy that evening. It must have been my anxious desire to finally be alone with Sookie. Or maybe it was just the heat permeating the heavy night air, filling my vampire senses with her human loveliness.

I remember Sookie stared at me with a wistful little smile on her lips. She slowly opened the screen door, our eyes locked to one another. She came out onto the porch, rather slowly and shyly, and stood next to her grandmother.

"Hey Bill," she greeted me demurely; "how are you?"

"Hey," I said; "I'm doin' fine. How are you, Sookie? You look very well this evening."

Sookie nodded her head slowly.

"Thank you. I feel good," she said; "These flowers are so pretty, Bill. Gran loves blue delphiniums."

"I certainly do!" said Gran; "Are you two still goin' to that drive-in movie tonight?"

Sookie and I were just standing there staring at one another for the longest moment. Now that we were in close proximity again to each other, the effect was just as it had always been when we were together. Magnetic. Powerful. In those first few days….it was almost impossible for us to see anything or anyone except each other. And standing there on the porch just inches from her, with the moonlight beaming down across her beautiful face, I was almost at a lose for words.

When neither one of us answered for a moment, Gran looked from one of us to the other. I did not feel the need to go anywhere really. I could have sat on the porch swing with Sookie until dawn.

"Yeah, we're still goin', Gran," Sookie finally said. She tore her eyes away from me and gave her grandmother a little peck on the cheek. "And we had better get movin' 'cause the main feature starts in just a little while."

I looked at Gran. "I promise we will not be out too late," I told her.

Gran smiled at me and inhaled another breath of the flowers in her arms. I do not think she minded the time that Sookie and I spent together.

I could not help admiring how Sookie was dressed. She wore a short, light purple sundress that was showing just a hint of her cleavage. The little dress had fabric bow~ties atop her shoulders. Tiny gold studs in each of her earlobes. Her hair was smoothed up into that ponytail that she loved so much. And her iridescent, golden skin, from tanning herself during the daylight hours, was glowing in in the porch light. I wanted so much to feel what I knew was the softness of her skin. I resisted the urge I had to just reach over and trace my fingers down her arm. That was only one of many temptations I experienced while being close to Sookie.

We had made plans to go to the local drive-in movie that evening. Of course, it had been at Sookie's suggestion. If she had told me she wanted to drive to New Orleans, over 200 miles away, I would have agreed. It did not matter. As long as I was able to spend some time with her.

The drive-in was just off Highway 9, a short detour on the road to the nearby town of Shreveport. It was a bit warm for the drive-in, but neither one of us wanted to change our plans. I wanted so much to be alone with Sookie. I already felt from the first time we met, I was now struggling to separate this feeling from any of my other motives. I was at the point already where I did not even want to think about the 'mission' when I was with her. Which was totally absurd in itself. Because meeting Sookie was _supposed _to be the first part of the mission.

Sookie and I left Gran standing on the porch smiling at us. She hugged the big bouquet, quite satisfied as she watched us getting into my car. I had opened the passenger side door and Sookie slid inside. I waved at Gran as I rounded my car and got into the driver's seat.

"Have a wonderful evening!" Gran smiled, still waving, as we drove away.

I glanced over at Sookie, probably every ten seconds. She would meet my eyes and smile back at me. We were alone in each other's company, at last. And I actually was feeling very good and pleased with myself. I think in part it was because Sookie knows what I am. A vampire. And even in those early days, she as a mortal, was never afraid to be alone with me. That, in and of itself, I still found was extraordinary. For many reasons~ and probably at foremost because Sookie has always felt so outcast, so different from other people because of her special gift of telepathy ~ Sookie does not mind taking chances. And from the very beginning, I always liked that about her. She is different from everyone I have ever known. And as she had told me, the night we first met, the abstract or bizarre is not so unthinkable for her.

"Bill, I hope you don't mind," Sookie suddenly turned to me and said;" this is not a new picture. It's an 'oldie,' you know. But I like it. I hope you will, too. It's 'Sampson and Delilah.' Do you know it?"

"I think so," I said as I was driving. I could not help glancing downward at her creamy, exposed thighs, her shapely calves and her pretty feet clad in the strappy sandals;" Some Biblical piece, isn't it? Like Ben Hur?"

"Yeah…like 'The Ten Commandments,'" she nodded; "yeah, like one of those movies."

I truly did not care in the least what movie was playing at the drive~in. We could have drove around in circles all night. It did not matter to me. I just wanted to look into those kind, chestnut brown eyes of hers.

But I could not look into her lovely eyes for any prolonged length of time because I was still driving. Sookie nodded when she realized that I knew what kind of movie we were apparently destined to watch. She then leaned back against the seat. She seemed to be enjoying the silence that we shared. We did not speak to each other for several minutes and that was just fine. There was no awkwardness in our silence. I was sure that Sookie welcomed the silence at not having to always filter out other people's thoughts due to her unique telepathy. She had told me several times that it was a challenge to constantly try to find some peace. So I could give Sookie that. She could not read my vampire thoughts. And I could also give her some further silence by not speaking.

We each listened to the sound of the car engine and the swooshing, crackling gravel rolling underneath the car tires, as I navigated the dark country road.

I thought about the incredible circumstances of me, ensconced in this funny, little fragment of time. And what had lead to this unlikely scenario: driving along on a desolate road in my old hometown, along side a naïve and innocent young mortal woman, on our way to a place that is little more than a dating ritual. After all was said and done, I could thoroughly appreciate why the universe would have brought Sookie into my immortal existence, such as it was. I had felt, after meeting her, that God had been somehow mocking me. Or maybe it was a cruel joke being played on me by the Devil. Showing me this twist of fate. And not only delivering me into the middle of quite an ordinary evening ~ as the first time I had sat in Gran's parlor and was offered food that I could not eat ~ but pummeling me further still into feeling the emotions that were the unwisest for me to begin feeling about any mortal person. Yes, I found it absurd after giving me the unlucky part of a vampire for all eternity.

I was being given a glimpse, a sampling, into the bittersweet world that I truly wanted to return to so desperately. But I knew I would never truly possess any part of this intermezzo….. Never truly become a real participant in this. Not ever again. I realized the full spectrum of life was closed to me for all time. Because of what I am. Vampire.

I have lived beyond the normal span of my own mortal years.

My time ~ the 1860s ~ was surely gone. And my human existence with it. The age of the 'horse and buggy' had slipped into a by~gone dimension. I had passed through so many eras all ready. And now here I was, passing through yet another era. Another funny and fascinating, distinctive portal of time, with its own strange customs, clothing and music. Its own mortal concerns that sometimes repeated themselves throughout history and hold nothing tangible for me. Or so I thought before this current assignment.

But it was clear to me, as every day passed that I remained in Bon Temps and spent time with Sookie, the very last thing I expected to happen….was happening.

Randy's Tru~Light Drive~In. Quite the establishment really. Of course, it was old~fashioned by today's standards. A relic of the 1960s. I had to roll down my window part way to insert the gigantic nickel~plated speaker box on my driver's side window. The sounds coming from it was laced with static.

"Well, there goes the air~conditioning," I said to Sookie. She laughed.

"Oh Bill, I guess you had to cut off the engine anyway, silly," she continued smiling at me, then she turned and rolled her window down all the way.

It was a rare Friday night for Sookie. She was usually working at Merlotte's. But somehow, she convinced her boss, Sam, to allow her to switch night shifts with one of the other girls who worked there. I am sure that Sam was not thrilled about changing Sookie's schedule just so she and I could have an evening together. But I know Sam has a certain soft spot in his heart for Sookie. So he never wanted to see her unhappy. And I, too, knew exactly how he felt about not wanting that.

I don't know what I expected, but the drive-in was packed mostly with teenagers. There were a few families and couples there. But for the most part the young people ruled Randy's on Friday night. They were circling around the property in their cars, all along the dimly lit side entrances of the drive~park, beeping their car horns while calling to each other. I hoped that when the feature presentation began, they would quiet down.

People were walking up along the side of the brightly-lit 'Randy's Snack Shack,' only thirty feet away from where I had parked. The wafting aroma of hot-buttered popcorn was floating towards us in the warm air. We had arrived just in time to see ten movie trailers before the actual movie we had come to entertained by. Sookie and I noticed as people kept walking in front of the wind screen, to and from the snack place, with popcorn, boxes of pizza, soft drinks and fried donuts. I finally glanced over at Sookie.

"Do you want something to eat? I asked her;"Let me get something for you."

Sookie turned to me with a little unsure smile. "Well…I guess I could eat something," she said hesitantly;"If it's okay with you, Bill."

Then I understood .

"Sookie, it's not goin' to bother me if you eat," I said leaning towards her to reassure her; "you are human. I know you have to do that."

She flashed me a brilliant smile. "O.k. I didn't have any supper. I'm really starving, Bill. I could handle a big ol' tub of buttered popcorn. An Orange Crush. And could you get me a Moon Pie?"

I was opening my door. "Of course," I said; "I'll be back in a minute."

I was already keenly aware that there was not anything I would not do to

See her smile at me like that.

When I had first arrived in Bon Temps, I had struggled with incorporating myself back into this type of atmosphere. The normalcy of it all. Because it had always been easier to duck into the midst of human behavior, feed on humans, glamour them to forget, then get out quickly. Even on the past missions for Queen Sophie~Anne, I made a conscious point of distancing myself very quickly for most human activity. It was so ironic. Wanting a thing so badly ~ my humanity~ but knowing I could not possess it, making sure that I limited the time I spent interacting with the thing I wanted most. Because it hurt too bad to stay around it.

If I lingered too long around mortals, I had always felt completely out of step with them. And yet pining for the remnants of my former life. It had always been an impossible task. To remain in the discipline, acting as the Queen's agent, and longing to find some way to engulf, lose myself in the forbidden but enticing world of the ordinary. The so-called 'normal' world.

I knew when I had been moving from pillar to post with my maker, Lorena, I had for a time lost the ability to reason right from wrong, good from bad. And many, many times I had failed myself miserably in capturing the slimmest essence of my lost self. I had wanted to 'please' Lorena for so many years. She was all I had. All I ever thought I would have in this immortal life I was trying to become comfortable with.

But then somehow, unexpectedly, my former integrity came surging back to me. It was as if a small wedge of light had evaded the darkness and at long last, I was seeing clearly for the first time in decades. But even with finally separating myself from Lorena and having that lucid moment of clarity, I was still always trying to recoup the unrecoverable. Always trying to attain the unattainable.

Then, all those years of trying to do the 'right' thing and with the certainty of destiny, I find myself again in my old ancestral home, Bon Temps…..and with Sookie. Now when I am in her presence, somehow, everything I had been trying to touch, everything I had ever wanted to capture or feel close or attain…with her, it all seems so easy to do. Effortless. Natural.

I went to retrieve those snacks treats for her and the look on Sookie's face when I returned was as if I had brought back little treasures and placed them into her lap. I watched as she thankfully gobbled handfuls of popcorn into her mouth. I popped the top on the 12 ounce, ice cold Orange Crush can, handed it to her and watched as her cheeks deflated as she pulled on the straw, quenching her mighty thirst with the orange drink. Yes, indeed, she had been famished.

I was more than happy to be the person instrumental in the process of satisfying her hunger and her thirst. We gave each other that 'look' again, which did not need any words spoken between us. Suddenly, I wished we had been in the comfy back seat of my car, rather than the front seats with the blasted gear shift and storage compartments thoroughly separating us from one another.

"I really hate you can't eat anything," Sookie said, placing the frosty soda can against her right cheek;"I would share my popcorn and drink with you, Bill. Honestly, I would." The brown eyes blinked at me.

"But not that big ol' Moon Pie, huh?" I teased her. She threw her head back and started laughing. I wanted to keep hearing the sound of her laughter. I went on.

"I don't hear you offerin' to share that precious Moon Pie, Sookie," I said.

She shook her head giggling now. I regarded it as a feather in my cap that I could make her laugh so delightfully.

"Nope," she laughed shaking her head and the ponytail waved from side to side;"Nobody touched my Moon Pie, Bill Compton!"

Her giggling was like music to my ears. And she was completely unaware of the double entendre she had uttered. I believe she did not realize it. That she had said those words so innocently. I wanted to put my arms around her and squeeze her. But there was no way to accomplish this, even if she had allowed me to do so. Sadly, we were not in close even proximity to each other seating in my car. I flashed a mental note that _next time we decided to take in a move, _it would be the Hippodrome Theatre in Shreveport that we would visit, where we could cuddle together in the soft leather bay seats in the balcony section. The next time.

Presently, the feature presentation started to roll in front of us. For the most part, everyone in cars or out, had finally settled down. The walking traffic to the snack shack had subsided considerably. Sookie and I began watching the movie without speaking to one another for several minutes.

Then Sookie turned to me.

"Bill? Have you ever been to a drive-in before?" she asked very quietly.

"Yes," I said looking over at her,"but it was a very long time ago."

"When was it?"

"Back in the 70s, I believe."

"Where were you?"

"Let me see…in California."

"California? _Hollywood?"_

"San Diego, actually."

"What movie was it?"

"I really don't remember."

I was still looking into her big brown eyes. I knew what her next question was, so I answered it for her.

"No, I was not at the drive-in with a girl," I said.

The chestnut brown eyes narrowed at me. "Then what were you doin' in a drive-in, Bill?"

I hesitated about telling her the truth. I could have made up something. But I decided not to just to see her reaction. I looked her squarely in the eyes.

"Well Sookie, it came about as a suggestion from a vampire friend of mine. Several of us decided to go and we were looking for people to feed on," I told her honestly. I looked back at the movie screen.

For almost a full minute, Sookie did not move. She just stared at me, the side of my face, and blinked. She was just thinking about what I had just said. Then to my surprise, she leaned over a little closer to me.

"I see. Well. Did ya'll find some willing participants?" she asked.

I almost laughed, but I managed to keep from doing it. She sounded so much like dear Gran when she said that.

I nodded my head. "We did, yes," I said with a straight face.

Sookie nodded too. Very slowly. Very civilized. "Good."

She nonchalantly turned back to the screen and continued eating her popcorn. She did not say another word about it.

It was simple as that. Just as it had been so simple on that first walk we had taken together in the cemetery. And the handful of walks we had taken since then. It was as comfortable as her taking my hand. And as promising as our first kiss. I knew I was enjoying her company…..probably too much.

I remember looking away from the screen, as my concentration on the movie had strayed. I wanted to be in tune with my surrounding. I looked up at the strong moonlight. The moon was bright and round and magnificent on that particular night. Then I looked to my left and studied the people as they sat in their cars. The couples. Young and old. The young families with children. The teenagers. Everyone blissfully unaware that this was actually moments of their mortal lives that were tickling by. A finite life that would never be again.

Everyone was watching the Technicolor movie. Including Sookie. I could tell by the expression of her face, she was momentarily lost in it. I watched as everyone laughed and talked. Critiqued the scenes. Everyone enjoying the atmosphere. Just experiencing, enjoying their lives.

It was just a normal Friday night at Randy's Tru~Light Drive~in. And I, as a vampire, was not hunting. I was not cruising. I was not driven by the singular purpose, the singular hunger to corner and subdue someone. I was sitting in the middle of a normal Friday night drive-in with a prety, little blond named Sookie Stackhouse.

And to my utter surprise I found myself…feeling almost human again.

That feeling came over me so strongly. Without a second thought as to whether or not I should, I reached over and took Sookie's hand in mine. She turned her head sharply, with a start, when I touched her. She looked at me intently for a second. She did not pull away. Her little hand was warm and plump and so luxuriously soft to the touch.

Without a word, Sookie looked down at our hands. Hers in mine. Then she was looking up at me again. She seemed to have a question in her expression. Her lips then parted into a welcoming and kind smile. The smile I had seen many times already. And I was so glad to see again.

She gently laced her fingers through with mine and squeezed my hand in acceptance.

"Bill, your hand is cold…..it's gotta be eighty degrees out her tonight," she said still smiling at me.

"You know I cannot help that, Sookie," I said, almost feeling as though I should let go of her hand. But she tightened her fingers around mine.

"I know," she said shyly;"I was just mentioning it. That's all."

She looked back at the movie. "Oh, here is the really good part," she said with excitement in her voice;"Delilah tells Sampson that even though she betrayed him, she loves him still. It's very sad….listen…" I turned back to look the screen, as Delilah said her words:

"_I could have loved you with a fire to make all other loves seem like ice! I would have followed you to Egypt, left everything behind! Lived only for you!"_

cccccccccccc ccccccccccccccc cccccccccccc cccccccccc ccccccccccc

We held hands until the movie was over. By then, I think I was actually feeling the warmth of Sookie's hand start to melt into mine. For me, it was an intimate feeling that is very difficult to describe. It was a very intimate feeling, having nothing to do with sex. It was more about the human contact that I had not felt with someone in a very, very long time.

After the movie, I drove back to Bon Temps much more slowly. I did not want the night to end. I could have stayed with Sookie all night. Just talking. Just enjoying her in a way that filled my soul with contentment. I truly wished to never leave her. Like a child who was having too much fun and being pulled away from the charm and fascinations of the State Fair, it was an overwhelming feeling that took me quite by surprise. I did not want the fun to end.

Sookie was talking as I drove. She was recapping scenes from the movie. She asked me a couple of questions about some scenes that I could not answer.

Sookie laughed. "Were you watchin' the movie at all, Bill Compton?"

"No, I was watching you."

I glanced at her. She looked sidelong at me, a tiny blush on her cheeks. Sookie knew it was true. She had a little satisfied grin on her lips. She continued to blush as she turned her face away from me and looked to her right and out of the window. All I could think to myself was, what in God's Heaven could Sophie-Anne possibly want with this little slip of a girl?

"Only ten more miles to Bon Temps," she said suddenly.

"What a pity," I piped in. I reached my arm back across the gear shift and Sookie quickly took my hand again.

When we got back to her house, I turned off the car lights and coasted slowly to the front of the house. All of the lights were off except for one lamp downstairs in the parlor. And one lamp glowing in an upstairs bedroom. When I turned off the engine, we each rolled down a window.

We sat in my car for a minute or so, not saying anything to each other. Then I knew neither one of us wanted the evening to end. Suddenly, Sookie turned to me.

"I had a very nice time tonight, Bill. Thank you," she said.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed the pleasure of your company, Miss Stackhouse," I said, knowing Sookie liked the cliché of my old-fashioned speech and when I purposefully teased her with it. But I was being completely honest. I did enjoy her company. More than she could ever realise.

"Perhaps," I went on;"we can do this again some time… soon."

I could feel Sookie's pulse quicken at my suggestion. I could discern her heart rate, her blood flow increasing as I spoke of this. Seeing her again.

She smelled so good. And she was smiling at me.

"I'd like that, Bill. I'd like that, very much," she said. I was rubbing her fingertips gently across my thumb, just holding on to that perfect moment of contact that we had. Finally, I made the first move and got out of the car. I walked around to open the door for Sookie.

As soon as she stood up, I kissed her mouth.

I could not restrain myself another moment. We had been so restricted from one another all evening sitting in the car. And I could think of nothing else. I tenderly held her close to me, encircling her soft, tanned shoulders and pressing my happy fingers down along her exquisite back.

Her mouth tasted of the orange drink and the sweet cream butter that was in the popcorn. I held her close to me, relishing every human thing about her.

I found in Sookie, not only a need I had so strong to quench my physical desire for her, but in her I found an acceptance and a peace of mind in just being near her. That feeling had happened almost from the first moment she had walked up to the booth where I had been sitting in Merlotte's that fateful night. Everytime I was with her, the uniqueness of her, the affect she was having on me, it kept coming back. It was so surprising, so violent for me.

There was always this immediate and completely enveloping connection between the two of us. And the longer I was close to her…..the longer I wanted to be close to her.

The atmosphere was sweltering as we kissed. It was a combination of our urgent embrace and the heat of the night, the midnight air thick with no breeze in it. We continued kissing as we had the other night. Our fresh discovery of each other's mouths, now, for me, something of a memory replaying again with every pleasurable aspect. I craved the very essence of Sookie. Our tongues in a sensuous wrestle, only wanting more and more of each other.

And there was in my peripheral consciousness the awareness of how we were finally alone again. With my superb vampire hearing, I discerned the insistent mating calls of the crickets in the yard. And off to the east, the lonesome sound of a distant freight-liner leaving the Bon Temps rail yard, humming on its way headed for the City of New Orleans. Sookie and I were blissfully alone for the moment.

I gently leaned in, my eyes still closed, as she braced herself back against the midway point of my car. I embraced her, squeezed her, as I had wanted to do all evening. I could feel the rounded fronts of her thighs. Inevitably, my member was growing stiff against the front of her cotton dress, just above her navel. I knew in only another second or two, just as the other night when we had been deeply French-kissing, my fangs were dangerously close to snapping forward.

I knew Sookie was a virgin. She had told me so. I did not want to frighten her. But, the other night, it had been she who had initially pulled me forward into that first kiss! It felt so good to have her against me again.

I opened my eyes when I suddenly felt her pulling away. But I need not have worried. She was smiling up at me, her cherub face bathed in moonlight.

"You are a very good kisser," she whispered breathlessly. Her breasts were heaving slightly. She brought her arms all the way up round my neck. She seemed to be quite relaxed and happy. And her coyness was driving me wild. With all the other things I suspected I was beginning to feel for about her, the fact that no man had ever had her sexually completely aroused me.

"So are you," I said, flirting back;"Tell me…..where do we go from here?

That was a pretty straight-forward question that I would have never have asked her had she not been kissing me in such a beguiling manner. Her chin tilted upward, her pulsing throat illuminated in the pale moonlight. Her eyes were bright and innocent with wonder, but still with a hint of pure mischief.

"We go…anywhere we can hold on to this feeling," she whispered.

I looked down at her lips, then back into her eyes. The part of me that was still functioning as a level-headed man, was trying to take some pause. I had to collect myself and think… she did not even know what she was doing. I certainly knew what could happen, but was I prepared to handle this? To be responsible... for charging forward through her naivete?

She arched her back at my silence then brought her head forward, standing on her tip-toes for a second, to touch her forehead with mine and rub our noses together. And she gave a low giggle in the back of her throat.

"Mostly, I like it so much that I can't read your thoughts, but right now… I sure wish I could get inside your head, Bill Compton."

I had to wonder was she saying these very sexy things on purpose. I looked down her pulsing throat, then to the tops of her inviting, bulging cleavage. I knew I dare not even think about biting her. But at that moment, that is all I felt like doing. That, and ravishing her in the most ungentlemanly way. Which was a fantasy of mine that could never be revealed to Sookie after only two dates. She wanted to know what I was thinking, but she had my hardness up against her, so she must have surely had a clue. I ached to, at the very least, lick the little droplets of perspiration I saw glistening in the divide between her plump little breasts.

"Sookie, trust me. You do not want to know what I am thinking,"I said shaking my head at her;"but then…I think you already know."

I bent my head and took her irresistible mouth again. This time she pulled me even closer, opening her mouth a little wider. Her fingers went up into the hair at the back of my head, as she braced my head to make our kiss more exacting, more fervent.

"_Sookie! It's 'bout time for you to git yo'self inside, ain't it?"_

We broke apart instantly. Our heads turning in the direction of the house.

It was Sookie's brother, Jason, standing there eye-balling us.

Jason had not come from the front door, but around the side of the house. He stood there like a disapproving parent, scowling at me and his sister. The same look he had had when I came to the house before. Sookie looked at her brother, her face had changed to crimson. I could see she was absolutely livid at her brother's interruption.

"_Jason Stackhouse!" _Sookie's voice was almost shrill. She huffed up next to him making a straight line across the flower beds, then she crossed her arms with her mouth open;_"what the hell do you think you are doin'?"_

The blonde siblings stared at one another. What really concerned me was the fact that I had been so consumed and focused on kissing Sookie, that I had not heard Jason walking around the house, at all. I had been as startled as Sookie had. I had not been aware of Jason's presence. For a vampire, that was not good.

"It's late,"said Jason;"and I'm making sure you get inside that door, missy!"

He pointed to the front door, nodding his head.

Sookie shifted her weight on to one leg and pointed her index finger at her brother. "Have you lost your mind? How long I'm out at night, is none of your business. And stop actin' like it is."

"The hell it ain't my business," said Jason;"you are my _sister. _And that makes this right here my business!"

"No it ain't! Whay are you standin' there, makin' an idiot out of yourself…again? I am a grown woman, Jason," said Sookie;" Gran already told you last time Bill was here to butt out!"

"I called Gran earlier and she told me that you had gone out to the drive-in…with this vampire!" Jason shook his head in disbelief;"Sookie, you need to let the people who love you, look out for you sometime."

"I am _not a minor! _And I will go to the drive-in with anyone I damn well please!"

Jason looked over at me."I'm gonna keep an eye on her, get it?"

Sookie turned and looked at me, rolling her eyes. She was mortified. She let out a sigh of frustration.

"_Arghhh! _Nobody asked you to, Jason!" she said;" _Go away! Now!"_

"Oh hell no, Sook," Jason was emphatic;"I ain't about to leave you out here in the dark…swappin' spit with no god-damned vampire!"

"_Jason! That is awful! How dare you say such a thing! Oh my God!" _Sookie was now totally embarrassed for me. She looked at her brother as if she had never seen him before. Then back at me. I was not unaccustomed to this type of open bigotry and ignorance. I kept my eyes pinned to Jason.

"Do you have any idea how completely odious and small-minded that statement is? If I meant your sister any harm at all, I would not have had to wait until the movie had ended," I said, as calmly as I could;"or until our second evening together."

"Jason, Bill has always treated me with the utmost respect," said Sookie, making sure she was still standing squarely between me and her brother. Those horrible ideas you have are just…sick! And Gran raised you with better manners than that! Bill I'm sorry. And Jason, I am totally ashamed of you!"

Jason kept staring me down. It seemed he never blinked.

"Don't change nothing'. You are my little sister. I want you safe inside the house," said Jason. Sookie stared at her brother with an expression mixed with annoyance and anger. I reached out and touched Sookie's right elbow.

"Sookie," she turned to look at me;" believe me, I don't care for the manner in which he expressed himself, but your brother is correct."

"Wha-at?" Sookie said searching my face;"Bill?"

"It is time for us to end our evening together," I said.

"Damn straight," Jason piped in. Sookie looked back at her brother like she wanted to hit him. Then she turned quickly back and stood directly in front of me.

Bill," she said taking in a short breath;"you don't hafta leave. And you don't hafta try and make points with Jason. I am goin' to pick up something in this yeard and hit him wit it! He is bein' a perfect ass, as usual. You know I don't care what he thinks about us."

I looked down into her pretty brown eyes. I gently took both her hands in mine.

"Actually, I am not trying to make points tonight with anyone but you. I think your brother is a bigoted fool," I said, my eyes met Jason's;"but he is right, Sookie. It is late. We should end our time together….now."

Sookie said nothing. She looked up at me and I thought I saw a pronounced pout forming across her bottom lip. I then addressed myself looking at Jason.

"And if you think for one moment, because of what I am, I would take advantage of your sister, then you are wrong. You are as wrong as you can be. I _do_ respect your sister. And I would never harm her. May we have a minute?"

"Sure," said Jason. I guess he was satisfied that I let him play the role of the patriarch that night. "I need to go around back and get something' out of my truck. Hell, take _two _minutes. Then I'm comin' back and turnin' off the porchlight. It's almost midnight and my grandmother pays the light bill here." Jason said with a huff in his voice.

"_Oh fuck! You touch that porchlight, Jason Stackhouse, and I'll chop off your hand with a rusty cleaver!" _Sookie glared at him indignantly as he walked away, shaking his head.

"Will you shut up? You're gonna wake up Gran," Jason said, as he disappeared behind the side of the house.

"Gran's not asleep, you moron!" Sookie retorted. She was going to have the last word.

When Jason disappeared, Sookie suddenly came back into my arms. She hugged me round my waist and her cheek resting on my chest. I was rather surprised.

"Bill," she said;"do you really, really want to go? Jason doesn't tell me what to do. Nobody does."

After a moment when I said nothing. She looked up at me.

"Oh, I am beginning to see that is very true," I said, teasing her. She smiled at me. I knew full well, it was best for me to go. And the irony of the situation is I was almost thankful to Jason for his interrupting us. I needed to get some perspective again where Sookie was concerned. And obviously, it was extremely difficult while having her in my arms.

"We have had a lovely evening together,"I said;"in spite of Jason." I cupped her cheek then came to rest my palm on her shoulder, still marveling at the incredible smoothness of her skin.

"Oh Bill, I don't know what's got into Jason. He is not always like this. He can be very sweet most of the time," she said.

"I understand your brother is simply lookin' out for you, Sookie. I cannot fault him for that."

I let go of her hand and brought mine up to each side of her face.

"I had better go… before we get ourselves into some real trouble," I whispered, looking from her eyes to her waiting lips.

She tilted her chin up slightly as she had before, signaling that she wanted me to kiss her. I cherished the moment, looking at her beckoning mouth. But then I decided to quickly kiss her forehead. She was not satisfied with that. And just as before, when I drew away a little, she pressed forward pulling my lips to hers. She opened her mouth and boldly offered me her tongue again.

I understood Sookie wanted to take up right where we had ended when Jason startled us a few short minutes ago. I pulled her close, tasted her hot tongue with mine and deepened the kiss the way she wanted it. The way we both wanted it. I could have gone on kissing her for a considerable amount of time. But I knew it was best to end it. I gave her two short, clingy kisses then with some will power, I pulled away, taking her hands down and holding them again.

"May I see you tomorrow, then….after work?" I asked.

Her face lit up. "Come by Merlotte's. I get off -"

"One-thirty,"I said. She nodded.

"Alright. I'll see you then. Now, Sookie, you had better get inside that door by the time your brother returns."

"_Oh shit!" _she protested, rolling her eyes again. She let go of my hands and hopped up the steps to the porch. I watched as she pulled open the screen door and then paused to look at me through it.

"Good night, Bill," she called.

"Good night, Sookie…"

She went inside and latched the door behind her. I watched as her shadow faded inside the foyer. I walked the short distance to my car and looked back up at Gran's house. In a moment, another upstairs lamp came on in the bedroom window over to the left side of the house.

That must be Sookie's room, I thought.

As I drove the short distance round to my property, my mind was filled with little scenarios of how Sookie would undress. I thought of her pulling the tiny fabric bows from her soft, tanned shoulders. And the little cotton dress dropping to the floor.

~end of Chapter One~ ….to be continued…..


	2. Chapter 2

A Perfectly Normal Human Night

Chapter Two

I felt elated and dejected at the same time.

I was happy to have shared another brief evening with Sookie. That was the elated part. And I was already looking forward to seeing her that next evening with great anticipation after her work shift was over. That is why I was also feeling dejected. Because it all meant too much to me. I already knew, it was more than just about the information that I needed to gather. And my experiences had taught me well, where emotions run high, so too, there is a wide path for mistakes and miscalculations.

I got into my car and drove the third of a mile around the Bon Temps Cemetery road to my house. When I reached my property, I cut off the engine and sat there in my yard. I listened to the very same sounds in the midnight air that I had heard over at Sookie's house. The crickets. The lonesome freightliner. And now the euphoria of being with Sookie was settling down. I was alone again. And feeling it quite keenly.

I looked through the wind screen at my family home, off in the short distance, shrouded in complete darkness. With my keen vampire vision, I could make out the symmetrical lines of the stone walls on either side and detect the green and white ivy as it snaked across the brick work and curled across the lower windows climbing to the roof. The windows themselves were like hollowed out squares, black and ominous. And I realized I had been in such a hurry to see Sookie, that I had forgotten to leave a lamp burning on the inside.

The house looked abandoned, gloomy and forbidden.

What was I doing? I asked myself as I sat there staring at my house.

I could not 'court' this girl. I chastised myself. I could not go on treating Sookie as if everything I was doing, and everything we shared was because of a totally random circumstance. That our very first meeting in Merlotte's was just by chance. I had only known her a few days and I was beginning to feel very guilty about it. Because she was so innocent. So unaware. And I really liked her. Each time we met, Sookie had managed to take me outside of myself, away from my solitude as a vampire. I felt more myself, my old self, with her than I had in ….a very long time. Jesus, how did I get so close, so fast?

This was madness.

I glanced down at the storage compartment in my car and there I found Sookie's empty Orange Crush soda can. And next to it….her Moon Pie. Unopened. I supposed she had been saving her delectable Moon Pie for later. Now it was ruined in the heat of the night atmosphere. The outer chocolate coating was already melted against the plastic bag. And there was no way for me to save it for her because I had no refrigeration in my house. No electricity.

I slowly turned the Moon Pie over in my hand, smiling to myself about the little joke we had shared. Then my smile turned into a scowl. Our worlds were so different, I thought. Sookie lived most of her life in the sunshine. And I never would again.

Next to the gear shift was also my cell phone. I had placed my cell on 'silent ringer' mode because I had wanted nothing to disturb my evening with Sookie. I looked and there was one message waiting that I had not retrieved. I recognized the private number as belonging to Queen Sophie-Anne. And I was surprised because she very rarely calls me when I am on assignment.

It had been quite a while since I had spoken with her. Since before I had made the trip back home to Bon Temps. And the message she left struck me as very strange:

"Bill. I guess you have successfully made contact with the Stackhouse girl by now. Anyway, when you are able to size up what's really going on with her, her true abilities, please let me know, won't you? Oh and Bill, I don't want to have to call you again."

That was it. And it was very strange, coming from Sophie-Anne. Her voice seemed very anxious. Which is definitely not like her. She usually has a monotone and a boredom to her manner of speaking. And the voicemail message she had left for me about Sookie was not at all like that.

For someone with so much status and power, Sophie-Anne is one of the most ungrateful, self-unaware and spoiled members of the Vampire Monarchy I have ever encountered. I know I have not been vampire for very long, in the grand scheme of things, but I had figured out very early on while working in her realm, this Queen is not someone for whom you want to find yourself at the mercy of.

The first thing I remember thinking after listening to that voice mail from her was, this is very sloppy of you, my Queen. What if I had inadvertently lost my cell somewhere? What if it had fallen into the wrong hands? The second thing I thought was that in all of the assignments I had completed under her command, Sophie-Anne had never tried to contact me in the middle of an active mission to inquire about anything. Never. So this cell message was uncharacteristic for her.

Sophie-Anne had always given me all the time and space I had needed during any situation. And anything I found myself involved in, she had always expected me to handle it my way. Without any prodding or interference on her part. It was the bottom line of accomplishing the objective that had always matter to her. And she had never needed crib notes or updates from me, in the past. But obviously, she was awfully anxious about Sookie Stackhouse. And I had to wonder why?

She was now showing a level of concern that only further piqued my suspicions that the Queen was not being completely forthcoming with all the information she had regarding Sookie. That she was holding back something. Something about her entire agenda in this matter, in general.

I did not trust it. I had been a liason in her Queendom for quite some time. And I had never failed to complete an assignment to her satisfaction. So why was she so intense?

It was particularly annoying to me, this feeling, that Sophie-Anne was not being upfront with everything she knew, or suspected about Sookie, especially now that I had met Sookie. Now that Sookie was no longer just an assignment on paper, with a name and a destination, an objective.

Now I had seen for myself what an extremely vulnerable, 'babe in the woods' Sookie really is, up against this Queen, who I knew over the years had preceded over more dirty dealings, backstabbing and violent behavior than I cared to remember. So what did she want with Sookie?

Sookie was not at all deceitful. Not worldly. Not at all the type of 'player' that Sophie-Anne would even have deemed that important in her realm. Sookie was not like on of the usual characters that Sophie-Anne likes to trip up and snare in her little 'cat-and-mouse' games around the world. I had to wonder if Sookie was more than just a telepath. Because Sophie-Anne did not ever care what humans were thinking about. She thought of humans as beneath her. Sookie's telepathic gift could not possibly be of any real value to Sophie-Anne. And that's what I was thinking when the unthinkable had happened the second night I met Sookie outside of Merlotte's.

One thing I did know that point. When I had licked the wound in Sookie's forehead the other night…..her blood was like no other human being that I had ever tasted. And I had told her that.

So, I had tried to find out on my own, why Sookie was of special interest to Sophie-Anne. There had to be another reason. Clearly, there was something else far more special about Sookie than I was aware of. But I had determined that night with the filthy Rattrays, that she was not a supernatural being. I determined that Sookie is human. And unable to stop someone from hurting her. Or at least….that is what I thought I knew.

I was certain it had more to do with than just Sookie's ability to read people's thoughts. Sophie-Anne never cared what other's thought about anything she did -humans or vampires.

I put Sookie's melted Moon Pie, still in its plastic wrap, into my front jacket pocket. I finally entered my house, tossing away the empty orange soda can into a trash bin inside the foyer. I switched on the floor lamp near the staircase. I went upstairs into my bedroom and over to the mahogany highboy. I opened the middle drawer, and under my shirts, I retrieved a file folder.

I was keeping a file on Sookie. Newspaper clippings, birth records, a genealogy report about her telepathic grandfather, Earl Stackhouse. And all and any past Stackhouse members and converging blood lines due to marriages that I had been able to get my hands on while researching Sookie's family.

I was determined to try and solve the mystery. I knew Sookie's life might well depend on it.

I already knew I would never deliver Sookie into the hands of my cruel, conceited and superficial vampire queen. I would never be able to bring myself to do it. I could not even bear to think of that happening now. Sookie was no match for the vampire world. Whatever Sophie-Anne wanted her for, it would be a fate worst than death for Sookie. I knew at that point, the delicious taste of her blood alone would cause Sophie-Anne to drain her! There was no doubt in my mind about that.

I had an overwhelming need within me to protect Sookie. To shelter Sookie from any harm. And on that special night, I was only just beginning to realize these powerful feelings I have for her.

But I knew my mission in Bon Temps had completely changed.

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccc

Her name was Mollie.

The only reason I remember that is because I used to go to school with a girl named Mollie.

Otherwise, I would probably have forgotten her name. It was the only old-fashioned thing about her.

Her facial features were nothing at all like Sookie's. Her mouth was too wide. Her eyes were blue like mine. Her nose was very different, as well. There was nothing in her face that looked remotely like Sookie. But her hair was blond. And she was wearing it up in a ponytail.

That is why I first noticed her at all from behind. That, and her high-heeled shoe being caught between a crack in the sidewalk cement, only two blocks from Fangtasia. When she turned around because she heard me walking up beside her, I noticed that she had blond bangs across her forehead. That was different too. Sookie did not have her hair cut with bangs.

And I noticed right away the way she was dressed. Sookie would have never dressed like Mollie.

Fish-net black silk stockings. A black leather mini skirt that looked as if the side seams would pop at any moment. A low-cut red lace blouse, with criss-cross ties that would very easily come undone. And an open waist-length black leather jacket, that was covering…..nothing really.

I would not meet Mollie for at least another hour. I had sat down on my bed and taken the time to look at my secret dossier on Sookie Stackhouse once again, for the hundredth time. I had carefully perused all the contents inside the folder. Every birth record. Every clipping from her grade school days. The meticulous genealogy report. Why was I feeling so guilty? The information I had collected was borne of a sincere attempt to save Sookie's life. But no matter, I still ached with the knowledge and the clandestine thing that I was doing. What would Sookie think of me if she knew I was collecting such things about her? But at the present time I could not risk being honest with Sookie about anything that I was doing. Not yet. And probably not for the foreseeable future. I kept thinking about how she looks at me with those beautiful, chestnut brown eyes of hers. And how she had looked at me earlier that evening. So open. So innocent.

So unwavering in her approval of me.

Also very coy. And yet Sookie was sending me all the sexual cues that I knew and that any man, any mortal man, would surely react to and get lost in. A woman is capable of absolutely hypnotizing a man's attention, if he is indeed attracted to her. And even knowing all this, as I do, I was attracted to her. And on a level I should not have been. And what with everything that I knew was going on in this situation, there was nothing I could do about my feelings.

The trouble was, a big part of me was ready for Sookie's 'spell.' I wanted to get lost in the pull and her allure to me. It felt so good. Something I had not felt in a very long time.

I had gone back downstairs and into the parlor. I stopped in the doorway and stared at the huge mantel. If I was not going out, it had been my routine to light a fire in the fireplace, only it was far too warm that evening. I was feeling so restless. Thinking about Sookie and Sophie-Anne. And whatever kind of ultimate quandary I was facing. I knew it would involve a very diplomatic feat on my part to extricate myself, and continue to walk this fine line I was mapping out for myself with the Queen. Everyday, I was searching for answers that made sense. Clarity.

Suddenly I thought, I don't have to go to Merlotte's tomorrow night. Why should I? I can keep my distance from Sookie for awhile. And shake off some of these cloying emotions that I am beginning to feel for her. But then I thought, how is that going to work? I must be in close proximity to her or I will not find out what I need to know to keep her safe?

I shook my head. That was not a plan. That not in any way a feasible solution.

That was merely an avoidance.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out Sookie's wilted chocolate Moon Pie. I tossed the plastic bag to the coffee table, next to the six-pack of _Tru Blood _that I had purchased a couple nights ago. Yes, it had been sitting there all that time. I reluctantly reached down, picked up a bottle. I opened it, smelled it and took a short taste on my tongue. Then I placed the bottle back down on the table.

This was the ugly side of 'mainstreaming.' I do not think I can do it tonight, I thought.

And that's how I met Mollie.

Thinking in circles of all the ways I should perhaps take care to begin protecting myself from the considerable charms of Miss Sookie Stackhouse, I had got back into my car and just started driving. It was approaching 1 a.m. and the night was still young for vampires, relatively speaking. They roll up the sidewalks in Bon Temps around 10 o'clock, except for Merlotte's, of course. For all intents and purposes, my little sleepy hometown was dark and quiet. I can honestly say, I have lived other places with a more exciting night life. And even though, I am not one who holds that kind of thing in very high esteem, I was restless that night after taking Sookie home. And I was needing something better than a sterile-tasting _Tru Blood_.

Before I knew it, I had reached the fork in the road where the sign reads: 'Sherveport 22 miles.'

Without really meaning to - or at least that's what I wanted to think at the time - I found myself driving on a familiar avenue, just a few blocks over from the legendary Fangtasia.

Not that I wanted to go inside, but as usual in the immediate circumference of a popular night spot, there are always crowded streets and activity before one even approaches the actual club.

And there were plenty of people cruising the blocks around Fangtasia from dusk until dawn in the single-minded pursuit of the abundance of vampire attention.

There were people walking around of every description. Fangtasia draws a certain mindset of the population. But one thing they all have in common, is that they want to be near us vampires. For a variety of reasons. Sex and curiosity top the list, I think.

I spied a parking space and pulled in, only twenty feet or so from where Mollie was having a mini-crisis with her fashionable Manolo Blahnik high-heeled shoes.

Mollie had been walking merrily along to Fangtasia when she got her left heel caught in a cement crack in the sidewalk.

"_Oh fucking damn it!" _she shouted.

She had almost lost her footing and bent over forward and to her side to see what the damage was to her shoe. Her heel had found the crack precisely in front of an unlit storefront. As the bumper-to-bumper traffic moved slowly along the near by street, I had walked up beside her.

"May I help?" I asked her. She looked up suddenly, not too startled by my presence. She was bent forward, with her backside still in the air, her hand over her left shoe. The tight black leather skirt seemed to be stretched to its limits.

"Oh shit! My heel just broke off!" she said, shaking her head, standing up;"Awh, wouldn't you know it? These shoes costs me a damned fortune! And I still got a block to walk!"

"I'm sorry," I said;"If you are going to Fangtasia, it's at least two blocks."

She cursed under her breath again then lifted her leg to take off her left shoe. She looked at me and smiled.

"Are you headed for Fangtasia, too?" she asked me. She gave me a frank once-over then put both her hands on her ample hips.

"Not necessarily," I said.

She laughed. "Are you by any chance a vamp?"

"I am vampire."

I watched as the pupils of her eyes grew larger. Her heart pumped faster. And almost as quickly, she extended her hand out to me for a handshake.

"Well, some of my best friends are vampires,"she said warmly;"Hi! My name is Mollie."

I took her welcoming hand. "I am very pleased to meet you, Mollie. My name is Basil."

And in avery well-used pretense, Mollie pretended to 'shiver' when I took her hand. Quite the little actor, Mollie was.

"Oooh Basil, you are _chilly_, aren't you?" she smiled; "and very very handsome, I might add."

"Chilly is a given. But thank you,"I said;"And you are one attractive lady, Mollie, who I can tell knows exactly what she wants."

She nodded and kept smiling.

"Oh, you can bet I do, Basil," she said slowly, looking deeply into my eyes;"Why haven't I seen you at Fangtasia before?"

"I do not frequent that establishment," I said;" I like to be…..more discreet. If you know what I mean, Mollie."

She nodded again, now gazing at me attentively with her big blue eyes.

"I do," she agreed;"why go all the way to Fangtasia when we can both get what we want…right here?"

She reached out and placed her hand on my shoulder to steady herself as she plucked off her other shoe. Now she was standing there barefoot on the cement sidewalk. She glanced around behind me, then back over her own shoulder for a second. I suppose she was checking to see if anybody else would be walking past us any time soon.

"You get my drift, Basil?" Mollie whispered, looking deeply into my eyes.

"I get it perfectly. But don't you have friends in the club still awaiting your arrival?"

"Oh hell, they'll wait," she said;"it's still early, isn't it?"

She laughed still holding my shoulder. Then she shifted her arm down, grasping hold of my forearm and she pulled me a little closer to her. We walked the short distance over to the side of the darkened closed storefront. There was a huge stone pillar dividing the entrance and blocking any view from the street.

We stood behind the pillar together, hidden from plain sight.

There was no glamouring necessary with Mollie. Nor did I think she would have even preferred to be glamoured. I could smell another vampire on her skin. And I could see that there were fang wounds healing on the right side of her throat. Mollie did this all the time. Probably on a daily, nightly basis. Mollie was a fang-banger. She loved being bitten. She loved being around and possessed by vampires. Whether or not sex was involved in each encounter, she got a complete and total rush from this kind of anonymous contact. It was a total addiction.

In the darkness of store front, I quickly turned Mollie away from me, my hands on both her shoulders from behind. She was looking at the stone pillar. She dropped both her shoes and the broken heel at her feet. I watched as she closed her eyes. She pressed her palms against the stone pillar in anticipation of what I was about to do. I could feel the sheer excitement trembling through every muscle of her body. Her breathing had turned into short, raspy pants. She raised her head back so I could have better access to her throat.

Now she was shivering for real.

"I-I wish you hadn't….told me your name," she said raggedly.

"I smoothed aside her long ponytail with my hand, looking down the side of her pulsating throat.

"I did not,"I whispered close to her ear. All I could think about was the blood and how badly I needed to taste it. My fangs snapped out.

She jumped under my hands tight grasp on her shoulders. _"Wait! Wait!" _she cried hoarsely, helplessly; "I want to _see them! Please! Let me see!"_

I knew what she wanted. I leaned in closer to her, pulling her ponytail down. She turned her head back to the side as far as possible, as I ran my tongue along my fangs as she watched me.

"_Ohh! Ohh! _Are y-you….are you gonna _fuck me too!?"_

"No."

Before she had a chance to say another word to me, I opened my mouth wide and pierced her flesh with my fangs. Mollie had tensed at first. But as I sucked her blood, her shoulders relaxed under my grip. I had my meal. She began moaning softly. Her blood was hot and satisfying.

Mortal blood. And tasted no different from any of the blood types I had had before, except for…

After awhile, I released her. I moved away disengaging my fangs and retracting them.

Mollie did not move from the stone pillar. She did not turn around to face me. She seemed to be taking her time collecting herself.

"Mollie? Mollie?"

"I'm fine," she said in a tiny voice.

She let out a little sigh, slowly turning to me, placing her head lazily back against the pillar. She smiled at me, reaching out and she gently wiped a little drop or two of her blood from the corner of my bottom lip with her thumb.

A blond ponytail. That is the only thing she had in common with Sookie.

"Thank you, Mollie," I said sincerely; "I can certainly take care of those wounds for you, if you like."

She gave me a little chuckle, shaking her head from side to side.

"You are so…..nice," her voice sounded a little stronger then;"You are not from around here, are you?"

Her blue eyes were glassy. She stood straight up away from the stone pillar then.

I stood back from her already wanting to leave.

"Can I give you a lift to Fangtasia?" I asked her.

Mollie shook her head again. She seemed to be resigned and comfortable in her obsession. No doubt she would allow herself to be bitten again and again, many times over before dawn.

"I'm gonna walk on," she said, matter-of-factly;"but I appreciate it, Basil…..hey, is there something' wrong?"

At that very instant, while looking at Mollie, I began to feel a tingling going through my body, my vampire senses.

Suddenly, I felt Sookie was in trouble! I could feel Sookie was in _fear of something!_

"Mollie…..I must go," I said quickly.

I whipped out from behind the storefront pillar and hurried back into my car.

I never saw Mollie again.

-end of Chapter 2- To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

A Perfectly Normal Human Night

Chapter Three

I was driving much too fast. The last thing I needed was to be pulled over by a cop.

On pure vampire instinct alone, this feeling that Sookie was approaching an impending danger, had filled my senses. It had me traveling in the opposite direction from Bon Temps which was heading me west of Shreveport.

I was then leaving Shreveport and ascending onto the highway, going across the Cascade River Dam and into the valley on the other side of the city.

The 'alarm' within that that surely told me that something was wrong with Sookie, kept ringing through my entire body. Even though I knew I was stretching the outside boundaries of the local speed limits, I pushed the peddle down, recklessly speeding up as I went across the long expansion bridge over the dark river. I topped the highest point of the structure, then looking downward, I could plainly see the little hamlet of Monroe laying below the bridge in a cluster of twinkling lights to my right.

My vampire senses guiding me, I knew immediately that is where I would find Sookie.

After I had crossed the bridge, I swerved my car into a parking lot located in front of a bait and tackle shop. The little store was closed. No other cars in the lot. I thrusted my car keys into the pocket of my jeans and at vampire speed, I started running into the blackness of the nearby woods. There was a slim gravel pathway that snaked down along side the rushing waters of the riverbank. The water made a deafening sound as it surged by, making it very difficult to hear any other sounds. Even for me, with vamp hearing.

My 'radar' was telling me to leave the gravel path and hike on above it, and move up between the trees. As I ran, I could smell the pronounced smoke in the air. And momentarily I saw the flames ahead of me climbing and flickering on the same riverbank. The smell of the burning wood and hot embers was coming back into my face, carried by the warmth of the breeze.

I began climbing higher, upward through the trees, creating my own zig-zag patterned path through the cedars, the oaks and the pine brush. The feeling grew stronger and stronger within me, until I had finally topped the hill, coming out of the vegetation and onto an asphalt surface. Another parking lot with yellow florescent streetlights.

I stood still for a moment looking around. Probably fifty feet in front of me I saw an ambulance with its lights flashing. And a small group of people gathered around it.

Someone shifted their position in the crowd, parting the way.

And finally the blond ponytail became visible to me.

"_SOOKIE!"_

I ran up to her at vamp-speed, as Sookie turned around with surprise and shock across her lovely face. I embraced her before she could even completely turn.

"Bill?!" she called my name in total confusion, grabbing onto my arms, my torso, then burying her forehead against my chest in relief. I squeezed her against me. I was relieved as well that she had not been the person in the waiting ambulance. The feeling washed over me when I finally had her in my arms again, safe and unharmed.

I knew without a doubt in that instant that no one…no one could ever take her place. I knew that the very core of who Sookie truly is -her smile, her mannerisms, the way she thinks, the very essence of the unique human things that set her apart from every other person on this earth-would always make her important to me. Her well-being mattered a great deal to me. There was no mistaking that now.

I could not deny the depth of my involvement to myself any longer.

Then, we looked at each other and we were both trying to speak at once.

"Bill, what are you-"

"Sookie, I had the feeling that you were-"

"….doin' here?" she said, looking up at me. Her eyes were so red and weary. She had been crying. She had a little smudge of mud on her right cheek and across the front of her white tee shirt. I noticed that she was no longer wearing the little light purple sundress with the fabric bows. Now she had on a pair of cut-off shorts, a tee shirt and tennis shoes. Her hair was still up in the ponytail, but disheveled and pulled off center a bit. I held onto her, massaging her back. She looked happy to see me, but she was very much concerned.

Now that I knew Sookie was physically alright, I was anxious to find out what was going on there. I pulled her a little to the side, a few feet away from the people that were standing there next to the ambulance.

"Sookie, remember when I told you….now that you've had my blood, I can find you fast," I whispered so the others nearby could not hear me. I searched her eyes.

"I can find you _anywhere now. _I left you latching your screen door a little while ago. Sookie, I saw the fire. Is someone in trouble? What's goin' on here?"

Sookie sighed heavily.

"I know…."she shook her head, speaking very quickly;"After you left Jason got a call and came upstairs to tell me that one of the guys he works with -a guy I used to go to school with, his name is T.J. Carpenter-was down here campin' with his family, his wife and kids, and a forest fire broke out! His kids got missin', Bill! It's just awful! It's so damned dry around these parts right now. Anything can start a fire, if people aren't payin' attention. But any way, their campsite was so near when the blaze was set. And there's a bout close to hundred families down here tonight. Jason said everybody around started waking up and screamin'. Everybody got up and just started runnin'! Trippin' all over each other. I'm sure it was sheer panic down here. Families got separated. And …T.J.'s kids-ran into the woods out there with some other people! And everybody was trying to round up everybody. I'm sure it was chaos in the darkness!"

Sookie broke down crying in my arms. I could not bear to see her so upset, so sad.

"They-they got separated from their momma and daddy somehow!" Sookie cried;" ….T.J. was askin' for volunteers…to come help look for his babies…you know…their both little kids, been missin' for hours…." Sookie looked through tear-stained eyes over to the ambulance.

"Oh God, no…" I said slowly;"dear…God…"

Sookie grabbed my arm. "Oh Bill, _they found one of the kids! _Her older brother, Tyler. He had slipped down a hillside in the darkness. He's the one in the ambulance with his mother and grandparents."

"Well, thank God for that," I said, my lips brushing the top of Sookie's head.

"Yeah, they say Tyler's gonna be fine," Sookie said;"He just got a big ol' bump on his head, is all. But Bill, the search party and the police haven't found his little sister yet. Melissa. She's…she's still out there, Bill. We've all been out there trying to find her. She's only three-years-old…."

Sookie broke down again. I hugged her. I looked around at the crowds of people gathering in more clusters. A lot of them were just curiosity-seekers. I looked across the asphalt lot and I spied Jason's pick-up truck.

"Sookie… where is Jason? With one of the search parties?" I asked her.

She nodded, her head still resting against my chest.

"This is Jason's third time out there. They wanted more people to go down near the river to search,"Sookie said. Then she looked up at me;"I couldn't go near the water. _Bill, I just couldn't! I tried. _I tried awfully hard. I got as close as I dare to but… I -I'm too _afraid_ of the water. I could only search the woods…"

Sookie was very disappointed in herself. She had no reason to be.

"Sookie, you are doing all that you can," I said quickly, trying to comfort and reassure her:"I remember what you told me about your parents. About the water. Sookie, no one expects you to go near the water, or into the water, if you cannot do it. Please. There are scores of people here joining in the search."

"Bill, I just want to help all I can," she said gloomily.

"You are doing that. Don't be so hard on yourself,"I said;"You are here and helping asll you can to find little Melissa. And now…I am here,too." I gave her a little smile, tenderly touching her cheek with my thumb.

Looking at me she slowly lifted her hand, bringing her fingers over mine. She smiled.

"Yes, you are here,"she whispered, the tears still rolling down her cheeks;"And Bill, I am so glad that you are here with me."

She was genuinely happy to see me there and it lifted my spirits to know I could help her feel better.

I brought my lips to her forehead and gently kissed her. I doubt if Sookie could have said anything else that would have touched me more at that moment.

Then I fully understood why my vampire senses had been triggered where Sookie was concerned. She must have been trying to go as close to the water's edge as possible while looking for the little girl. And it had upset her to the point where she just could no longer handle it. But she had tried. In spite of her fear of the open, turbulent water, Sookie had tried to search with the others near the raging river.

Sookie had shared with me how her parents had died in a flash flood. And after that she had grown up always terrified of any lake or stream or huge body of water. With that kind of trauma in her own childhood, how brave it was of her to attempt such an endeavor. Even for the little child's sake. The more I learned about Sookie-her heart, her soul-the more powerful my feelings grew for her.

The Monroe City Police Department, the sheriff's office, the local fire and emergency responders squad, the main hospital personnel and T.J. Carpenter's family and friends were all out searching for his little girl in the darkness of the vastly wooded area adjacent to the campgrounds. It was incredible to me, and everyone else, that this 3-year-old little girl had apparently wandered away so far, so fast. If that was indeed what had happened.

Everyone was baffled by her complete disappearance. No one knew for sure how the children had got separated from their family, nor from each other.

I was remembering, of course, from my experiences with my own children, Sarah and Thomas, that children have an uncanny knack for being just where they should not be. And they are the masters of doing the absolute opposite of what you tell them to do. Say the most embarrassing thing. And run in the most opposite direction.

They would not be children, if they acted otherwise. This knowledge is ageless and timeless.

It should have come as no surprise to anyone that in the moments of confusion as the forest fire was discovered, the children did the wrong thing. Everybody was asking questions, trying to figure out what happened and trying to lay blame somewhere. But what would that accomplish? It was a very moot point at that junction. All that really was important was finding the child. She had been missing for a few hours before I had arrived. And instead of in-fighting, the most fervent searchers were still out there in the darkness hoping they could retrieve Melissa before the dawn. No one could reach either Jason or little Melissa's father, T.J. Carpenter. The cell phone reception in the forest was completely sketchy. Few people, if any, had cell contact with any of them.

No question, even with the news that close to seventy-five people actively looking for the little girl, I was going to join in the search. But, right or wrong, my first priority was Sookie. I wanted to make sure she was okay. And not going to blindly take off into the woods and near the fire and possibly hurt or injury herself. She looked dazed. Tired. And feeling so guilty about not being able to search close to the river with the others. As if she may have missed a clue or something to the child's recovery. I did not want to leave her feeling so forlorn.

I sat Sookie down on a nearby park bench. I could absolutely discern just how exhausted she was, but I doubted she would ever admit to it. We were now far enough away from the yellow streetlamps in the parking lot, that the light from the moon cast over the park bench like a spotlight covering us both.

Someone came over to us, a teen-aged boy from the Red Cross tent, carrying a ham sandwich wrapped in tin foil and a bottled water. Sookie thanked him. He then handed me a ham sandwich and a bottled water, too. I thanked him. He updated us on the latest word circling the camp about the forest fire. The fire fighters who were immediately down river from us, nearly ten miles east of the campground and only thirty miles south of the Mississippi River, had finally been able to control and contain the spreading of the flames. We thanked him for the information about the fire and he left us.

"Oh my stars, Bill!" Sookie sighed; "how did it spread so far?"

"There's been no rain,"I said; "Everything will strike up just like kindling wood in this heat."

Sookie nodded in agreement with me. Her shoulders were hunched forward.

"It could have been a tossed off cigarette butt, or anything like that,"she said leaning back on the bench. I looked down at her. I was standing next to her. I gently put my hand on her shoulder. Sookie put the hand sandwich in its foil wrapper on her knees, not even attempting to open it. She just stared down at it.

"I gotta get back out there, Bill" she said in a tiny voice. I knew there were girls, women

out there in the woods searching just as desperately as the men. But my sensibilities -certainly old-fashioned by today's standards-could not help but kick in. I did not think that it was wise. How could I say this to Sookie without her being offended? I just decided to say it….because time was of the essence. And because this is how I truly felt.

"Sookie, I want you to stay here. You've been out searching with the others for the last couple of hours,"I said;"You are hungry and you are exhausted."

Sookie looked up at me.

"So is everybody else, Bill. I'm goin' back in the woods,"she said stubbornly. But very weakly. I shook my head, no.

"I must insist that you don't, Sookie. You need to eat something. And you need to rest," I went on sternly; "Please. I don't want to have to worry about you, too, while I'm out there."

"That's not fair," she said, with tears welling up into her eyes; "how can I just sit here?"

I sat down next to her then, taking her hands in mine.

"Because, Sookie…I am asking you to, And your energy to continue in this is completely gone, I can sense it,"I said quietly. Then I put my hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes; "Besides…you have _two _ham sandwiches to eat now."

I said this with a very straight face. I watched the little smile spread across her lips inspite of herself. A weak smile. But she knew I was right. Or maybe she was just too tired to argue any further with me, for once. But I won that one.

She suddenly moved forward into my arms, lifting her arms upward, hugging me closely around my neck. The smell of the oak and the hickory forest wood was in her hair.

"Bill….please be careful…."she said hoarsely.

I touched Sookie's soft cheek, her eyes were filled with unshed tears. I vowed then to myself that I would kill anyone who ever tried to harm her.

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccc

God help us, the media had arrived.

And I knew it was time for me to disappear into the woods with the other searchers. Sookie and I walked up near to the ambulance. Two television SUVs had turned into the entrance of the High Rock Lake Camping Grounds. It was always a mixed blessing whenever the cameras start rolling. And so it was for the Carpenter family.

Of course they wanted the the 'coverage,' as the more volunteers, the better. But, oft times what follows with the reporters, the lights and the cameras, is an insidious intrusion into the family's peace of mind and a circus-like atmosphere begins to surround the whole tension and uncertainly of what could become a tragic situation. It was now approaching 3 a,m, Understandable, with a little girl missing, no one wanted to call off the search. With the arrival of the press, it seemed this was only the beginning.

Through the open ambulance door, Sookie and I could see Alice Carpenter sitting next to her little son, holding his hand, as he lay stretched out on one of the portable cots. He looked to be six or seven years of age. Around the same age that my Thomas had been. The EMT was monitoring his blood pressure and had applied an IV solution into his left arm. The boy's head was bandaged all around. He must have taken quite a tumble.

People were steadily coming back from the forest in shifts. Exhausted. Their jeans and shoes covered in mud where they had been climbing up and down the steep hills of the dark terrain. Snatching food and drinks when they entered the campground again.

I left Sookie standing with some Red Cross volunteers near their huge tent. Sookie had told me she was feeling better after having a short rest and some bottled water. She still could not eat anything, she said. And there was plenty for her to do in the camp site helping other people who had survived the earlier stampede and the forest fire. I was so glad Sookie's focus had changed.

She promised me that she would stay on the campgrounds and out of the woods themselves. She promised me that her attempts at searching were completely over.

Before I left, she had held onto my hand very tightly before letting me go. She innocently asked me if I was going to search along side some of the other volunteers? I think she already knew the answer to that question. I told her honestly, no. I was going alone. My own way. I reminded Sookie that a vampire did not need any assistance in the dark.

I kissed her soft cheek then let go of her hand. As I walked away from her, I resisted the urge to turn around and look back at her.

I crossed the asphalt parking lot again and walked briskly into the darkness of the woods.

A sudden change of direction and velocity in the warm night air had brought the grey smoke from the squelched forest fire back towards the campgrounds. The woods all around us were then being blanketed by shrouds of gray smoke, making visibility even more difficult than before for the many volunteers as they searched on. I had heard there was at least a 10 to 12 square mile area that was being patrolled. Surely, Melissa could not have gone that far.

The dry leaves and bark crunched under my feet as I walked halting down a gravel pathway, my vampire hearing tuned for any odd noise or whimper. The pathway ran parallel along side the tumultuous river. In unison with the roaring sound of the water, I heard the cries of the volunteers, family and friends calling for Melissa, calling her name, over and over again. Their voices reverberated from the tree trunks, echoing in eerie vacuum of the smoke-covered wooded area.

As I advanced, I thought it particularly ironic that less than fifty miles away, in Shreveport, there was a vampire club…..full of supernatural beings. With extraordinary sight. Extraordinary hearing. Extraordinary sense of smell. But, I suppose, the search party really only needed one vampire.

The smell of burning wood was very strong as I rounded one hillside further east. I thought maybe that had thrown off my sensory skill for a bit in the darkness. I could see in front of me the path along side the rushing river growing slim and slimmer still until it disappeared under my boots.

I traveled onto dust and dirt again, strewn with fallen pine needles, branches, acorns and tree bark. I had hope against hope that the little girl had not slipped down a muddy hill and into the water. If she had, it was altogether possible that she had floated down stream into an estuary, on her way to the great Mississippi River by now.

I was also concerned, like everyone else I am sure, about the prospect of wild animals. Small ones. Possums. Raccoons. Snakes. If the child had wandered away from the campgrounds this far, it was a distinct possibility that she may have encountered some curious wildlife that was not put off by her small size.

I could see very far up the river's edge and there were few people walking as far away as I was. I spied people walking around on the tops of the hillsides, above me. No rescue effort could be made in those rapids. Not in the dead of night without the proper equipment. There was no descent visibility for humans. Which was absolutely required for any water rescue at the murky river banks. That type of search would have to be accomplished in the light of day. And by then, it would mostly likely be too late for little Melissa.

As I walked on, I noticed a steeper embankment to my left. It spied a clearing on the hillside, in the smoky haze between some trees. It was higher and much more verticle than the others. A sheer drop right to the river. Something told me to investigate that hill.

I climbed up the steep incline, effortlessly, at vamp speed. I stood in what appeared to be the midway point of the treeless part of the escarpment and looked down the hill, which had not one branch, not one bush protruding from the earth to hold on to. Nothing to stop someone from tumbling down into the river below. As I focused my eyes downward into the darkness….. I faintly smelled something….

I literally dug in my heels, dug in my boots into the soft, dry earth as I bent my knees, leaning slightly forward coming down the dark hillside, one step at a time. After a minute or two…I stopped. I saw it. A hole in the hill. Approximately a foot across. I had no idea how deep it was. I crouched down over the hole, peering inside, I started scooping back the dry and then the moist dirt and mud. Digging it away with vamp speed with my bare hands. Immediately, while clearing the hole, the distinct smell of human flesh and human blood began invading my senses more and more.

Then I heard a little human whimper. The cry of a baby.

Melissa had done the same thing as her brother had. She had tumbled off the hillside. A steeper one. But unlike her brother, she had fallen into a hole.

The very instant I realized that she was there, I was digging furiously. The bone-dry earth gave way to softer, moister dirt the deeper I dug. The weight of her little body as she had tumbled down the hillside must have been enough to sink her into the depths of the shifting soft ground. There had been nothing whatsoever to break her speed as she had probably somersaulted right down into the small crevice of the hillside. The baby was at least twenty feet below the surface. The hole appeared to be some animal's abandoned nest. Most likely a raccoon's den. With the dryness of the dirt and food hard to find, the raccoon family had not returned.

The other saving Grace was, judging from the speed in which Melissa must have tumbled into the hole, if she had missed the hole, she surely would have kept falling into the unforgiving river below. That would have been a much worse fate by far. All things considered, Thank Good, the crevice had been there and she had fallen directly into it.

Continuing at vamp speed, I had pretty much leveled the earth. I was kneeling in a substantial amount of dirt, nearly up to the knees of my jeans.

I gently lifted the child into my arms. She was covered in scratches and beetle bites.

Her brunette hair and clothing were matted down with dirt and twigs.

But she was alive.

Melissa had surely been unconscious for a time while down in the hole. She did not appear to have any broken bones but…I did not know for certain at that moment. I continued handling her very, very gently. She was just coming around to full consciousness in my arms, whimpering and fighting for her survival. I watched as she struggled for every breath, her little chest heaving to take in the warm but fresh air.

All of a sudden, I felt the tears welling up into my eyes, as I cradled her tiny body against my chest. I was fighting for her, as well…..hoping that she would not perish.

Within seconds, I was standing at the edge of the asphalt parking lot again, with little Melissa Carpenter in my arms.

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc ccccccccccccccccccccccccc

While lying there in a semi-unconscious state, bound in chains on the slaves quarters floor, I had stirred a little in that twilight state of mind at the memory of moving in vampire speed. Then suddenly stopping with the baby resting in my arms.

Was I still dreaming? Was I going mad? Here was only a brief respite from my reality.

A brief separation from the pain. Not the physical pain of torture -because my body could no longer feel anything anymore -but from the pain of knowing that I was going to meet the True Death without ever looking into Sookie's eyes again. And knowing she was at that very instant in dire circumstances up in Russell's house. The sharp, unmistakable warning about her despair, pounding at my core. It was a sarcastic comfort just to know that as long as I could 'feel' her fear, at least that meant she was still alive.

My arms still pinioned back over my head in heavy silver chains, I tried to discern if Lorena was near to me at that moment. I could not see or sense her. Perhaps she had finally retired for the morning. I tried to feel my arms and relax them back onto the canvas tarp that lay beneath me. I closed my eyes again. What was the use in struggling any further?

Much better to just lie still… and go back….to the campgrounds…and Sookie.

And experience again, that glorious night when I first began to feel truly a part of humanity again after many years. When I first began to feel again the emotional craving behind all human impulse. It had been deeper than anything I had felt in decades.

A night that had woven me back into the fabric of a human existence. I had saved a tiny human life, with God's help.

I could not save Thomas, or Sarah, or Caroline. But I had saved this child.

Up to that point- everything before I had met Sookie - had only been a type and shadow of a life. Because what I really had was a death. And even though I am vampire, that night I was using my supernatural skills to right a wrong. To help avoid something that could have spiraled, manifested and ended in a horrible tragedy. That night…I felt my humanity shining through. And a very huge part of that had been because of Sookie.

I will never forget the look on Sookie's face when I returned.

She had been climbing down out of the ambulance, probably for the hundredth time, trying to be of some comfort to T.J. Carpenter's immediate family. Her eyebrows knitted together in a worried expression, a frown cast across her lovely face. Thankfuly, when I returned there were only six people at the ambulance. Melissa's mother, the maternal grnadparents, Melissa's little brother Tyler, one EMT aide and Sookie.

Sookie had glanced over across the asphalt lot as she came down the step from the ambulance. She gave me a fractured double-take when she saw me approaching with Melissa in my arms. Her face changed dramatically of course. And the smile I would have walked at human pace from Bon Temps to see, spread across her cherub face, lighting up her eyes at last.

I watched as I closed the distance between us, her mouth fell open and out of sheer surprise, relief and joy, Sookie said my name, over and over.

"_Oh Bill…Bill….Bill!" _She reached out her arms, but she stepped aside, then bringing both her hands over her mouth, as I hurried up the ambulance with the child and climbed straightaway inside the open door. Alicia Crawford, Melissa's mother, looked up at me.

Everything happened very quickly after that. The squeals of surprise and delight went out in the ambulance, followed by tears and hugs. I rested the child down onto the opposite portable cot where her mother had been sitting watched her son Tyler. Alicia Carpenter looked at me as if I were a vision. She threw her arms round me and hugged my neck tightly, completely overcome with emotion.

"Thank you…..oh Jesus…._thank you!_" she whispered, kissing the side of my face.

After a few seconds, Alicia could no longer stand. Her legs gave way in relief and I was holding her up. The EMT had quickly started examining Melissa, as Her mother leaned over her, I brought her down to sit on the cot next to her little daughter. She brushed the hair back from her forehead. She was fully awake now and crying for her mother.

The grandparents had invaded the tiny space as well, and started patting me on the back and both of them were crying and exclaiming loudly,"Oh my God! Oh my God! Thank you! _It's a miracle!" _

"What's your name,son?! _Who are you?" _the grandfather had grasped my head and was pulling me forward. The grandmother was trying to pull me into her embrace, away from Alicia Carpenter's side, and wrangling me into a full bear hug reaching up, kissing my cheek. I put my arm around her to keep her from pulling me to the floor in the tiny space. I was rapidly losing my balance. Everyone had grabbed a different part of my anatomy and would not let go.

It was more than I could take really. I turned and glanced down outside the ambulance looking for Sookie. There she was, only a few feet away standing on the asphalt. She was looking up at me, smiling with tears rolling down her face. But there was something else in her eyes as well, as she looked at me. All I wanted to do was take her into my arms. Sookie wiped her tears, now caught between crying and a chuckle of happiness. And so was everyone else. I hesitated to respond. Sookie sensed that I did not want to divulge a great deal about myself.

"He's…he's my friend,"Sookie said shyly;"He is a friend of mine…."

Everybody was laughing and crying now. Except me. I had to hold back those dreaded, bloody vampire tears. It was more difficult than I had imagined. I could not tear my eyes away from Sookie. As joyous as it was, I wanted no more of this. I just wanted to leave with her. Luckily after a minute or two, all the focus was back to little Melissa and her brother Tyler. The EMT asked everyone to please exit the limited space inside the ambulance. Every one except for Alicia Carpenter. I was happy to oblige. I stepped down and stood next to Sookie. We immediately held hands while looking back into the open door of the ambulance as the EMT went about a brief examination of the child.

After a few moments, the EMT declared that except for a few cuts, a bruise on her arm and some bug bites, Melissa appeared to be doing fine. She had fared much better than her older brother. No broken bones. And the EMT agreed that Melissa's short stature and being so supple and so young probably saved her from some injury.

"Excellent news,"I said, looking to my side at Sookie as she nodded.

Everyone started clapping and the tears of joy from her mother and the grandparents continued. Sookie finally came into my arms. We hugged each other tightly. Sookie was up on her toes giving me the most wonderful, most welcoming hug. Her heart was beating remarkably fast. There was so much joy and excitement. She stroked the back of my head with her palm and caressed me around my shoulders, as if she did not want to let me go. She kissed the side of my neck, then my cheek.

"My God Bill, where did you find her?' Sookie asked. She stood back slightly and we looked deeply into each other's eyes.

"She was on a hillside not very far from here," I explained;"she had fallen into a little hole in the hill. That's why no one could see her…"

Sookie shook her head. Her eyes continued looking at me with wonder, so kindly, as if I had performed some magic. "Bill…I am so _proud_ of you!" She smiled.

I was truly speechless at that moment. Sookie's approval and acceptance was all I wanted. I stared at her, knowing that her words, her feelings, had touched the deepest part of me.

Suddenly the grandfather came up to us and slapped me on the back again.

"We can't thank you _enough! Thank you, son! _My name's Ed. Ed Wadesboro! And this is my wife Delores, she's Alicia's momma. _This is so amazing! _We still had hope. You saved my granddaughter's life! I remember Sookie. A friend of T.J.'s from school. Did you go to school with them?" he asked.

Sookie shook her head. "No, no. Bill didn 't go to BT High, Mr. Wadesboro."

"Oh, alright. Are you with the fireman's rescue squad or….?" he laughed nervously;"You gonna tell me your name, son?" Ed was trying to hug me again.

"Bill…" I said reluctantly;"just Bill."

Delores Wadesboro wrestled in between me and Sookie, grabbing hold of my hand and kissing my left cheek again. _"God Bless You, Bill!," _she said loudly;"Ed, we have to get in touch with T.J. _somehow!" _

Yes, the search needed to be halted. And there was limited cell reception in the valley of the campgrounds and the woods.

"Actually," Sookie said;"I was able to get a brief call from my brother Jason a little while ago. His voice faded in and out. But let me see if I can get him back again." Sookie moved away from me and the grandparents, reaching into the pocket of her shorts and quickly whipping out her cell phone.

"Come one now, Bill!" said Ed;"Let's walk over to the WIXY van over there! We need to let everybody know that Melissa's been found and Bill, you are a _hero-"_

"No!" I said more sharply than I meant to;"No media…please…" I shook my head trying to smile at the both of them. Ed and Delores Wadesboro looked at me a little in shook. I knew the t.v. and radio people would be descending upon us very shortly. Sookie was at my side in an instant, rescuing me from the Wadesboros. She took the cell phone from her ear, grasping my hand again, lacing her fingers through mine for support. She could tell I was completely serious about not wanting to get caught up in any publicity spotlight.

"I don't think so,"Sookie smiled;"he really wouldn't want it." She looked wistfully at the Wadesboros. "Listen, we appreciate it. But, really, the most important thing, after all, is that melissa is safe and sound and back where she belongs. Would you please do us a favor? Would you walk over there to the rescue squad tent and the Red Cross? Let them know that melissa has been found. They can get the word out to everybody much faster than we ever could. Me and Bill….we're not gonna stay. You understand?"

Sookie gave them both a sweet smile.

The Wadesboros looked at each other, then back at me and Sookie. They slowly closed their gaping mouths, nodding that they understood.

Sookie's solidarity with me further surprised and uplifted me. I stared into her eyes knowing our moods we were in complete harmony together.

"Thank you, yes," I said turning to the grandparents;"I appreciate it so much. I was happy to have been there for your grandchild. But we are not going to stay any longer."

After another moment both the grandparents had finally acquiesced. I was sure Sookie realized I had received all the recognition that I was comfortable with and then some. I did not need or want to occupy any space as the lead story on the morning news. The family's thanks and well-wishes were quite enough for me.

Most important to me was the look in Sookie's eyes.

Time was running out and we needed to make a hasty retreat. When the Wadesboros had walked back to the ambulance, Sookie turned to me.

"I 'll call Jason later and let him know where I am,"Sookie said;"Can I hitch a ride?"

She was squeezing my hand.

"Are you sure?" I asked her. She nodded.

"I am very sure. Let's go," she said. I looked down at her hand in mine.

"You shouldn't hold my hand,"I said;"it's a little dirty," I frowned.

Indeed my hands were dirty from digging in the soft, dry earth of the hillside for Melissa. I had not noticed it before. Sookie looked down at our hands together. She looked back up into my eyes.

"I don't care," she whispered;"not a problem…"

I thought about us riding back to Bon Temps together. Alone again.

The Carpenter and the Wadesboro families were all reunited now. The rest of it was merely details.

Sookie and I crossed the parking lot together in the direction of where I had left my car. We looked back briefly and watched as more and more people were crowding around the ambulance as the word filtered out that both of the Carpenter children were alright. Melissa had been found. Sookie and I had tried to briskly make our getaway, in the opposite direction of the impending hoopla, across to the other side of of the asphalt parking lot. My intentions were to disappear wit Sookie into the wooded area, taking us back the way I had first come.

"_SOOKIE!"_

We heard a voice echoing loudly across the asphalt space. It was Jason. We had made it to the very edge of the lot. We both turned around at the sound of his voice. He approached us in a great hurry. The black curtain of the forest was just ahead of us.

Jason had someone running with him. I knew in an instant it was T.J. Carpenter, Melissa's father, coming up behind him. His had was outstretched towards me as he ran, before he had even caught up with us. I looked into his eyes and saw the greatest of gratitude. I extended my hand back to him.

"_Thank you, man, thank you! _There are no words really….or deeds that can express…" T.J. was completely choked up. He looked like he had been through hell. And of course he had. Both his children had been hurt. And his daughter's fate had been unknown for over six hours.

The handshake turned into a bear hug. He held me for a few moments. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sookie and Jason eye-balling each other. Sookie was looking defiantly, her eyes pinned to her brother.

"What-what can I do for you, man? Bill…" said T. J. grasping my shoulder and looking me in the eyes with tears in his eyes; "what can I do?"

I shook my head. "I was happy to help."

"You saved my little girl's life," he said.

"I don't want anything…really. I'm just thankful that your family is all back together," I said;"that's the most wonderful. And your family needs you now."

T.J. nodded, very humbly. "God Bless you, Brother." He held me by my forearms and shook me. Then he turned away, seeing there was nothing I wanted, except for him to enjoy his family. Jason patted T.J. on the back. Then Sookie came forward quickly giving T.J. a hug.

"Take care, T.J.," she smiled at him;"I'll see ya real soon."

T.J. his head down, still overcome, glanced at me once more, turned and walked away back towards the ambulance.

"See ya, in a minute, Teej," said Jason, as he watched him walk away.

The three of us were alone then.

Jason regarded me and Sookie. His posture changed. He seemed to be sticking out his chest. Like an authority figure. He looked from his sister to me, then back to his sister.

"Jason, before you get started, this is _not _the time or place," said Sookie; "I'm ridin' back home with Bill." Her eyes never left her brother's face.

Jason nodded as if he was not surprised at all. He looked at me.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't even ask how it is that _you_ knew where to find my sister, right?" Jason said, curling his lips.

Neither Sookie nor I said anything to enlighten him.

"O.k.,"Jason said, letting out a deep breath;"You did a real good thing here tonight, Bill. Real good. But that don't mean I want you datin' my sister!"

Sookie tugged on my shirt sleeve. "_That's it! Let's go, Bill," _she said hafl turning away from Jason;"I ain't gonna listen to this again. You have nothin' to say about it, Jason. Just like the last fifty times I told ya."

Jason shook his head. "God knows….you got the mind of a mule, Sookie Stackhouse. This…is…not…right! And it ain't never gonna be right!"

"That is for _me _to decide, Jason. Me and Bill. Not _you_" said Sookie; "Now, you are gonna stay out of my personal business. 'Coz, if you keep on with this crap against Bill, just because he is a vampire well….if you keep it goin', Jason, we ain't gonna have a whole lot to say to each other in the future. You got that?"

"_He needs to stay with his own kind!" _Jason shouted, looking at me.

Sookie shook her head. "And _you _need to stay with _yours, _Jason Stackhouse! Dumb-ass prejudiced mother-fuckers! Bill, we are so done with this _horse shit!"_

I had never stopped looking at Sookie's brother.

"Your sister is over twenty-one" I said; "She can and will make her own decisions."

Jason just stood there, fuming. I really was not even angry. I knew Jason had a certain frame of reference about most vampires. And he spoke through the knowledge he had. And most of the time, he was right about the things he assumed. But not about me. Jason and I were on the same side when it came to protecting Sookie. Part of me was rather sad, as I knew Sookie's brother and I would never have a congenial relationship as long as would not afford me the benefit of the doubt where his sister was concerned.

I hated his attitude and the tug of war that he and Sookie were having because of me. I hated it for Sookie's sake. But just listening to Sookie defend me against her own brother, as she so ardently had over and over again, just knowing that I had arisen in her esteem so much….it meant everything to me.

For good measure, as a parting gesture, I swept up Sookie off her feet and into my arms. It was the very first time I had carried her like that. Days before we had gone to Fangtasia for the first time. My sudden move had startled her a bit. But then she gave me a timid smile and brought her silky arms fully up around my neck. Jason looked at me as if I were a ghost. No, Jason. I am vampire.

I turned my back to him and without another word, I took off at vamp-speed running into the black interior of the woods, carrying Sookie in my arms.

-end of Chapter 3- To Be Continued….


	4. Chapter 4

A Perfectly Normal Human Night

[The fourth and final chapter of this story. My sincere Thank Yous to everyone who has read & commented. am including a disclaimer here as there are MATURE themes and explicit content in this chapter. If this is not your cup of tea, so to speak, please do not read any further… However, if you have been enjoying the story thus far, sit back, relax and get ready for a real treat. Vampire Bill is in the driver's seat ;) ]

Chapter Four

The whole world is afraid of vampires.

Wanting to cast us back in to the shadows, back into our coffins. Eradicate us from the world altogether. With a stake. Silver chains. Or prolonged sunshine. And with good reason to be sure. We are predatory. We are ruthless. We are blood-thirsty and oft times driven by our own overwhelming urges and desires.

We are set apart by our extraordinary ability to outlive and out-distance the bonds of humanity itself. Our motivations, our central driving forces, have very little if anything to do with human needs. Human wants and human worries. Human fears. Human timetables. It is all a ridiculous non-issue for most vampires. It means less than nothing.

We are immortal. Existing throughout every age.

Why should we are about a creature -a mortal creature- that has a life span of only seventy years or so?

We have 'cheated death,' as they say. We are the ones with the staying power. We have the very last say in all that matters to us.

All of the so-called 'mortal angst,' the everyday worries and concerns of human life, has paled for us. Can bore us. Every human care has been buried along with any hope for a normal existence. And who wants to be 'normal' anyway? That is the question most vampires sneer at while discussing humans in general.

Most vampires do not even bother with hoping for some semblance of normalcy. We have an opposing 'life-style.' A need for blood. A hunger. A drive. A curse.

It settles upon us when we are first 'turned.' And it never lets go. It defines us. Sinks into our consciousness. As familiar and automatic as breathing used to be.

Now we have a different set of rules. Although 'rules' is a very sketchy concept for a vampire. Our rules have nothing to do with mortals. They are completely foreign to human beings. Completely the opposite of 'normal.'

Overtime, there becomes this consciousness of superiority. Of knowing that we are - if we chose to be-without a moral compass. Without mortal values or mortal concerns and restraints. For some vampires, it happens right away when they are turned. For others, it takes a bit of getting used to. To know….to recognise…there are no mortal consequences for anything that one does, any more. No mortal corrections for any action we chose to take.

The possibilities are endless as to any way we choose to life out our immortal existence on this planet. It is _our _choice. And we can behave as we like. Humans are temporary, and therefore beneath us. Beneath our concerns. Beneath our focus.

To think this way is like an addiction for some. A sickness that festers and spreads and eats some of us from the inside outward. And all vampires, no matter how they wish to conduct themselves, can feel the pull of it. The temptation of this mind-set.

The seductive nature of this knowledge…pulling us deeply, irrevocably into complete and utter darkness. The majority of Vampires have surrendered to it. Thinking they can be as cruel and unprincipled as they please. Without a second thought. Many are grateful for it. Feeding on humans and killing them for sport alone. Having no regrets concerning their actions. Once upon a time, I was pulled into that behavior. I had forgot myself. I had succumbed to the darkness and the madness completely.

But, for some reason, I was never completely comfortable with Lorena's plans for me.

As every heinous thing I had ever done lay before me, in my memory, as I went to rest at dawn, I was later appalled at myself. And what I had become. Lorena would try and reassure me that I was a young vampire. And all of my darkness, my horrific acts and my inhumanity with her was as it should be. That everything we did together was part of what I had to accept.

But I knew better. There was something within me that told me, no, this was not my true nature. Not how I wanted to live out all Eternity and then meet God's eyes some day.

After a time, I longed to separate myself from the agony of my circumstances. The pointed contrariness of the mindless destruction and carnage that I was indulging in with Lorena. My ignorance had been self-inflicted, I know. For a very long time, I had looked the other way. I had made excuses while trying to please my maker. Trying to fully go along the path she had shown me.

I reveled in things, witnessed things that I will never tell another living soul. Even after we had gone our separate ways, for decades, I fought the craving to still lose myself into the darkness of the life-style I abhor. I stayed away from other vampires, not wanting to fall into a 'nest' mentally with the others. It was easier to be alone.

I longed for an attachment that was not driven solely by my vampiric existence. And I lamented to myself that there could never be such a thing.

Was I to live out all Eternity as an outlaw? As a creature of the night….unworthy of redemption? Unworthy of peace of mind? Unworthy of the love of God?

My emptiness was complete.

I felt doomed to a purgatory state, in which I could never go back to my human existence. But I would never be satisfied with my immortality. As the irony of time ticked by, I longed to continue to hold on to some small part of my humanity. Some how. It had only been in my human state in which I had achieved happiness and contentment. I had lost so much. My wife. My children. My home. Everything that mattered to me in my mortal life.

I could not imagine ever finding solace again.

Until I met Sookie.

Sookie had managed to take me outside of myself, help me pull away from the dark, magnetic force of self-destruction. I had struggled for years. Even trying to find some purpose in giving myself over to vampire business and a 'cause' that I thought was certainly a pipe dream for many years before. But when I met Sookie, I was further barred back from the force that had threatened to consume me altogether.

Even though she was only pulling me back within the tenuous space of a few centimeters from being a completely feral vampire - with her kindness and her smile and the special warmth of humanity she exudes - those few centimeters mean everything to me. And seem as wide as the Grande Canyon in its importance.

Sookie speaks to my need, my deepest desire. Partly because I want it, so desparately. And partly, just because of who Sookie is. Her ability to always find the 'good' in, not only me, but to believe that good is even possible. To believe, as Sookie does, that there is good in everyone, against all of humanities ills and short-comings. This is something I found in her that moves me to my core.

I finally had to admit to myself that I wanted to be with her. In every way. And I wanted her to be mine. Not just in the vampire sense of 'mine.' But because she had opened up a door inside my soul that I thought was closed forever.

Incredibly, I was falling…. falling in love with her. Falling in love with every little thing about her.

To my utter surprise, this was the sub-text of my very last 'mission' in Bon Temps. This is what was happening to me in those first few days, when I finally met my most difficult and dangerous 'assignment.' Sookie Stackhouse.

The mission be damned. The danger be damned.

Almost from the very beginning, I knew I had to protect Sookie from the vampire world and from the Queen who had somehow become aware of her existence.

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc ccccccccccccccccccc

I gently lowered Sookie to the ground, releasing her from my arms, a very safe distance away from the edge of the river bank. Together, we silently listened to the river water rushing by underneath the stone bridge. We were standing far enough away, near my car, so that she was not overly concerned about the river. Completely alone, standing in the moonlight together, the darkness of the woods just behind us.

Sookie stood very close to me. She had pulled the band from her ponytail and her hair was now loose, the yellow tendrils like spun gold framing her face. There was a small smile on her lips.

"Wow. If I could get around _that fast anytime I wanted to, _I think I'd do it all the time," she said, chuckling lightly, teasing me about my vampire speed.

I shrugged. "I don't often find myself in that kind of a hurry," I said;"But, it does come in very handy sometimes. Vamp speed can be impressive."

"That's not nearly the only impressive thing about you, Bill Compton," she said, her eyelashes fluttering at me; "…especially after tonight." I watched her closely. She seemed to be altogether awed at what I had done.

"Well, I'm glad you think so. It's almost an hour's drive back to Bon Temps," I said, smoothly, changing the subject; "I guess we had better get started back." I glanced at my car, then started digging into my jean pocket for my car keys. Sookie suddenly took my hands in hers.

"Oh yes, Bill, how long before dawn?" she asked. I tore my eyes away from her and looked down at my wristwatch.

"One hour and thirty-two minutes," I said, smiling. Sookie looked at me with wide eyes. Bright and happy. Her fingers laced through mine.

"Oh Bill….is that enough time…I mean…for you to get safely all the way back home?" she asked. Her concern for my safety made me feel all the more wonderful. I was thrilled we had more time to spend together. Those minutes and the miles traveling back to Bon Temps in my car. It was precious time for me. Precious and unexpected time to be close to Sookie.

I nodded. "More than enough time, Sookie, don't worry," I said. I squeezed her hands. We moved a little closer to one another.

"Bill," she sighed; "I can't believe how calm you are about _this. _I know you don't want to talk about it but….do you have _any_ idea what you have done tonight? ….this _amazing thing _you have done?…. It's _so awesome, Bill_! Finding little Melissa like that! You saved her life. You _are _a hero."

I shook my head, no. "Sookie… I am grateful that I was in the right place at the right time," I said; "and I only used the skills unique to vampires. That's all."

"You did much, much more than that, Bill," she insisted;" you used those skills to help a human family find their daughter. Not every vampire would have done that, Bill. Melissa would not have been found without you. And her whole family would have been devastated. I mean….._what a night!" _

Sookie pulled my hands and grinned from ear to ear. She was looking up at me with pure, unabashed admiration in her eyes. I did not know how to respond really. There are no words to describe how I felt at that moment.

"Yes, what a night," I said softly; "but _you_ are the amazing one, Sookie. You have been so brave tonight." She brought her body closer to mine, her face tilted upward, her lips just inches from mine. She sighed.

"Yeahhh…well, _brave _is something' I need to work on. Butlike you said…. it is gettin' late, Bill…. I guess we better get started…"

I saw the twinkle in her eyes. She was not referring to the long drive back to Bon Temps. She slowly leaned against me, letting go of my hands and lifting both her arms up around my neck. I bent my head and we melded together into a kiss. It was the moment I had been waiting for. She opened her luscious lips to me and I dipped my tongue down into the warmth and wetness of her irresistible mouth.

My hands came up slowly to embrace her waist, as she offered herself to me completely and unyieldingly, with a passionate kiss that went on into another, and then another.

Up until that moment, these were by far the deepest kisses we had given to each other. Uninterrupted kisses. Our tongues caressing, taking turns discovering all that belonged to just the two of us, every curve and every sensuous recess of one another's mouths. I explored her lovely mouth at my leisure, Sookie opening fully, giving me everything I asked for of her. And in return, I wanted her to satisfy the curiosity she had about me. Again and again, she delved her hot, inquisitive tongue back into the cool cavern of my mouth. She turned the slicked tip and the side of her tongue lazily along my teeth and gums, then upward to the roof of my mouth, then back down, sucking my tongue, in a wanton and insistent motion. Her every improvisation, pleased me, every spontaneous movement of her tongue delighted me. The free thought and spirit of her enthusiasm transformed into her own particular way of expressing her sexuality. I wanted her to express herself to me fully. Through each one of her indulgent, langorous kisses. I encouraged her every embellishment, every motion of our kissing. I was dazzled by the choices she made. She was a virgin… but I could sense an untapped spontaneity in her, a wildness that was only waiting to be further unleashed.

Kissing Sookie was more than thrilling. I think because we both knew just how innocent she truly was about many sexual things. But she had her own innate way about her.

She was exploring her own burgeoning desires. And I was enjoying the journey with her. She trusted me to allow her to be herself. And because of that trust, she was hungry for more.

She pressed in closer still, until I could feel the line of little her rib cage and the fullness of her breasts clad in her cotton bra against me. I felt the quivering sensation, the excitement in her tummy. The tee shirt was thin enough to drive me wild as I ran my fingers suggestively up and around each muscle and curve in her back. Then I slowly lowered my hands and dared to slide my fingers down to cup the firmness of her bottom. I ached to pull down those tiny cut-off shorts. And Sookie did not protest when I squeezed her there but groaned with pleasure. My only thoughts were to increase Sookie's pleasure. And in so doing, increase my own. It was sweet agony to say the least.

In spite of the warm night, I could feel the goose bumps forming along the skin of her bare forearms as we continued kissing. I did not want to stop kissing her. My hands, my arms tightened around her tiny waist, encouraging her to stay with me.

Stay with me, Sookie! And by some silent, intrinsic wish, she _did_ stay with me.

At that moment, as we pressed on, enjoying each other, I knew she wanted me just as much as I wanted her. We could have done it, that night.

But I can honestly say, I did not want Sookie to lose her virginity by the side of the road, in my car, only minutes before I had to go back to my resting place. I cared about Sookie too much to have her most lasting memory, her very first time, in a place like that. If I was to be Sookie's 'first,' [and I believed at the time it was our destiny], I wanted everything to be perfect for her. Something very special.

We kissed for several minutes until I felt her lips blossoming full and tender under mine. Until her breathing had definitely changed. She held me longer and longer in each searing kiss. She was coming up for air, a short pause between our kisses, less and less frequently, her body braced firmly against my hardened manhood, until I felt her heart pounding, her blood flow quickening, her arteries pulsing. The heat of her passion was so pronounced and my will power as a man and a vampire was being stretched to its limits. I felt a gasp in her breath as our kissing had become so intense. I rocked forward slightly, a little shocked at almost losing my balance, becoming completely lost in her sweetness. When our lips finally parted, Sookie gave a tiny moan into my mouth.

There was an indescribable electricity in our bodies, our minds, flowing back and forth between the two of us. For a few minutes we had made-out like teen-agers. Her body had already told me, but when she opened her eyes and looked at me I received an unmistakable message: 'Bill, you are the one.'

It was the prelude to our lovemaking….that would not happen for a few more days.

The trip back to Bon Temps seemed only a few minutes long. Not an hour and a half. We had talked and laughed. We had leaned happily towards each other and kissed again and again. And the road winded away, tipped and rose before us like a grey, satin ribbon. The white half-moon crested each hill, watching over us as we advanced to Bon Temps. I don't remember any other cars on the road. We were the only two people on earth.

And the red dawn seemed far behind…..never to catch us.

I remember the magic of that perfectly, normal human night -when I never felt more alive. I knew it was because of my awakening feelings for Sookie.

How could we have known what lie just ahead of us? How could we have ever known what the future would bring upon us?

In only a few short days, after that night, Sookie would unfortunately witness some of the darkest, nastiest forms of vampire behavior. More doubts and fear would assail her with the arrival of some uninvited visitors to my home.

Liam. Diana. Malcolm.

Their visit was short-lived. But their impact would profoundly affect me and Sookie's budding relationship. It was perfectly normal, of course, for Sookie as a human female to question the wisdom of continuing a relationship with the undead.

I would declare that _Sookie is mine! _Not only to save her from those ruthless and cruel vampires. But secretly, I wished for nothing else. I wanted Sookie to be mine.

In every possible sense of the word.

I was still groping for the answers to whether or not I had enough information to truly keep Sookie out of harm's way. And I already knew the answer was no. I questioned could the pitfalls of my clandestine assignment be overcome?

How could we have know…. In a few short days after leaving the High Rock Lake Campgrounds, Sookie would lose her beloved Gran to a senseless act of violence?

And I would lose a beautiful and gracious friend in having known Adele Stackhouse, even for so brief a time.

In the midst of that awful time, I had tried to be there for Sookie as much as I possibly could. I could not shelter and comfort her during the daylight hours, that was true.

But I was there for her as much as she needed me, to give her every minute I could, after sunset.

In my experience, when tragedy comes, it is the nighttime hours which can prove to be the most difficult. The most challenging. The most lonely.

I never wanted Sookie to feel alone.

It was then…. the very next evening after Gran's funeral….when Sookie came to me.

_Sookie ran to me! _

When I arose that evening, I already felt her blood, her longing for me at sunset.

I felt it before I had even left my resting place. The feeling enlivened my body the moment I opened my eyes. I went into the main parlor. I went about starting a fire in the hearth, feeling her urgency and her restlessness as I readied the logs and tended the flames. As I did so, I was continually aware of Sookie's presence in a very strong way. I could feel that she was not in any imminent danger. It was something else entirely. A longing. A need.

When this feeling would not subside, only became more and more intense, I was compelled to open the front doors of my house in anticipation. I impatiently stepped outside onto the porch.

I looked around into the stillness of the yard. My eyes searching the dark landscape. I thought for an instant that I should quickly go to Sookie. I closed my eyes for a moment to pinpoint that an unmistakable feeling again.

The feeling that Sookie was moving quickly towards _me._

Without a doubt, she was on her way, running towards me. I could feel it. Nothing would deter her. With a single-mindedness of purpose, she was coming…..

I opened my eyes. To the left of the shadowed yard, I saw the flashing movement of her flowing white gossamer gown and her golden hair flying in the wind.

I saw Sookie as she ran into the clearing, the moonlight glowing across her like an ethereal image.

I was off the porch immediately and running towards her, as well. There was a connection binding us together that was so profound, so inevitable. We met at the halfway point in the clearing, our bodies slamming against one another. We came together in a glorious frenzy of groping and kissing. I took in the captivating scent of Sookie… her hair, the softness of her skin. The driving force of our need for one another now fully manifest.

The air was charged with the unfulfilled sexual energy between us, unbreakable now, ready to explode into reality. We had always been drawn to one another. But that evening was the culmination of many moments since we had first met. And many moments of shared experiences that had brought us together.

I knew nothing would part us that evening. Nothing would interfere.

We cling to each other. I kissed Sookie's mouth, sweeping her up into my arms, as I had done a few days before in the forest. I carried her into my house and into the main parlor.

Sookie stood there in front of the fireplace as I pulled the red velvet coverlet from the nearby sofa and spread it down close to the hearth, in front of the roaring fire. She knelt down on the very soft palette, looking up at me with an unwavering trust in her eyes.

That look in her eyes I will never forget.

When we touched, the universe was in our hands. I knelt down, too, in front of her and gently brought my fingers to her cheek. She was the epitome of innocence. She touched my hand, guiding it slowly down to the silk ties of her white gossamer gown. She wanted me to undo the strings. I brought my fingers up to the delicate ties and gently pulled them apart, looking into the sincerity in her eyes, her face.

I pulled the gown back from each one of her golden brown shoulders and the collar of the gown slipped away exposing her upper body, down to her waist. For the first time, I gazed at her lovely nakedness, the little breasts, exquisitely formed like two little doves. I looked up for her reaction, gingerly bringing my hands up and cupping each one of her breasts in my cool palms. Sookie blinked at me, unsurely as I touched her. I quickly wanted to reassure her.

"Sookie…." I said softly;"you are beautiful….you are so perfect."

She blushed, lowering her eyelashes, then looking up slowly she gave me a timid smile, bringing her hands over mine as I touched her. She leaned forward and we kissed again while keeping my hands over her breasts. I kneaded them, massaged my thumbs over them, until I felt her tiny nipples hardening under my insistance. Sookie whimpered. I could not wait to discover every inch of her. But I was mindful to slow myself down.

I was in awe that Sookie was there with me, finally. My joy at having her alone and my passion for her were now mingled into one great sensation, my mind racing in happiness.

I leaned in, kissing her lips, gently working my hands and my fingertips around her beautiful, soft breasts, thinking of taking my time with her and the hours we would spend together.

I bent down my head, kissing her chin, her luscious throat, the hollow divide between her breasts, then opening my mouth and finally capturing one of hard little nipples, I suckled upon it. Then Sookie moved to give me her other nipple. She arched her back, pressing towards me, her eyes half-closed. She was giving herself to me. She was not at all afraid.

I knew for certain then, that Sookie wanted everything that I wanted. I was not completely sure until just that moment. With that motion, I knew Sookie would not leave me.

Her nipple popped out of my mouth as she lifted my face with her palms and our eyes met again. She slowly laid back onto the red velvet coverlet, as if silently telling me that she was ready. Ready to experience the union between our two bodies.

I saw in Sookie's eyes all the surrender and all the trust I had dreamed of since almost the very moment I had first looked into her eyes. It had been our destiny, hers and mine, to be together.

I watched as she pulled her arms out of the long gown, her head lying on the coverlet, the reflection of the fire flames dancing in her eyes as she looked up at me. She shyly pushed the gossamer gown fully open to reveal to me her tummy and her lace panties. I feasted my eyes on her body, the firelight creating a sheen on her creamy, tanned skin.

Before I touched her further, I stood up and began removing my clothing, my boots, my jeans, my shirt. I did this all very slowly and deliberately. I wanted to give Sookie all the time she needed to see me, as well. I wanted her to look at me because I knew, in her innocence, she had never seen a naked man before.

She had watched me very closely until I unzipped and started pulling off my jeans. At first, she averted her eyes from my manhood, which was now well on its way to a full erection. I saw her eyelashes cast downward to the calves of my legs. Then she looked sidelong over to the burning fire in the hearth.

I slowly knelt back down beside her. She looked up into my eyes. I reached down and took her right hand. I gently brought her hand to the hair just above my groin. She looked down, lightly bringing her curious fingertips into the hair above my growing erection. Then she moved her hand down and touched the base of my manhood.

I let go of her hand.

Sookie timidly circled my shaft with her fingers then laid the weight of me under her palm. She looked up into my eyes. I smiled at her. The expression on her face was difficult to read. A curious mixture of wonder and trepidation. Then she brought her left hand all the way up and circled my shoulder, beckoning my body to come down across hers. As I did so, I hooked my fingers into the rim of her lace panty. I waited until Sookie lifted her legs, one at a time, as I pulled the bit of lace away. I gazed down at the shaven golden hair on her mons, extending my hand and rubbing my palm over the silky short hairs. As I laid across her and we engaged in another heated kiss, Sookie opened her legs to me.

My mind was now subservient to my passion. My body ached for hers.

Of course, the natural reactions of my body were trying to overtake me. But for Sookie's sake, I needed to keep my focus on remembering that this night was her very first time.

And she _was _mine. Truly all mine.

There we were finally….her skin under my skin, under my hands. Never again would I not know the up thrusts of her gorgeous breasts. The undulating movement of her soft hips towards me. The quiver in her tender tummy. The parting of her delicate thighs.

With Sookie I experienced a joy I never knew existed.

As we kissed, I moved my hands around her torso and cupped her bottom into my palms.

Her arms slid upward round my neck, across my shoulders. We were enveloped in each other. I groped with my mouth for every inch of her I could kiss, as she did the same, holding me down to her, our bodies poised for joining together.

But I knew we could not have intercourse just yet. Sookie was used to our kisses. Unknowingly she teased and tried my willpower, unmercifully, with every passion-filled kiss she gave me. She held on to me as if she could not bear to let me go. My manhood aching, throbbing first along side her thigh, then as we kissed, I moved and the sensitive head of my manhood was positioned up and touching the warmth of her entry way.

Suddenly my fangs dropped. And I remembered I was not just a man, but a vampire as well. With force of habit, I recoiled back, fearing that I would upset Sookie.

The delicate matter at hand…..her virginity….was something we both of us had to move past. Whether she realized it our not, I certainly did. It was a process.

"Is something wrong? What is it? she whispered, as I reared back. Then she saw my fangs. She swallowed, reached out, pulling me back towards her. She placed a tender kiss on my lips, then very slowly with her tongue she licked my fangs. She accepted my vampire nature.

I moved my right hand down her mons and felt between her legs until my fingers reached her pleasure bud. Sookie kept her eyes open, looking at me as I moved my fingetips into the slickness of her sheath.

"Ohh…" she let out a little gasp as I explored her deeper and deeper. "Oh…Bill…"

I felt her movement as she further opened her legs, inviting me inside, relaxing her vaginal muscles under my insistent probing.

"Bill…that feels good…oh….take me… "

Her hips began to find the rhythm of my fingers as I mimicked the act of intercourse inside her. She was incredibly supple already.

"Sookie….you are so sweet," I said;"I want you. I want all the passion that I know is in you."

She looked at me eagerly, nodding her head, ready to find out what it meant to be a woman.

"Sookie, I need you to trust me," I said, my lips touching her ear;"This may hurt…some."

She brought her palm to my face and caressed my cheek next to hers.

"I understand, Bill. I…have to get used to you, I know," she said breathlessly, shyly.

She continued to look at me, her eyes bright with passion and discovery. I thrusted my fingers in and out, gently pushing her towards her first peak, wanting her to be much closer to accepting my shaft. Although, I knew nothing could fully prepare Sookie for my first penetration. After a few minutes, her body had fully relaxed underneath me, her opening more soft, more slippery. I knew she was moving her hips not only to my rhythm, but to the sensations of her own carnal pleasure, straining for her climax.

I watched as her face changed.

She sighed a a satisfied 'ooohhh!' as I could feel the tension ease and her muscles contracting around my fingers. She looked amazing when she came. I brought my mouth back over hers as I continued to satisfy her. When I knew she was on the back edge of her climax, I moved quickly. My member was hard as steel. As I felt her legs slack, I raised up fully across her and thrusted my manhood inside her. There was no gentle way to breach her maidenhood.

I entered her and stopped as she caught her breath. I felt her heart ponding wildly. She was so very tight. I resisted the urge to just continue taking her. As much as I wanted to, there would be time enough for that. But, I knew I absolutely had to wait for her. I circled my arms around her, brushing back her hair, wanting to reassure her that even though the pain was necessary, it would not last.

I felt the tension in her lower back and in her bottom. I gently kissed her cheek.

"Sookie? Are you alright?"

"Hmmm…..yeah…."

"I'll get better…..I promise."

I was holding Sookie very close to me then. She placed her arms around my waist. I moved my shoulder down below her chin. I could feel her virgin muscles throbbing around my manhood. I started moving again. In and out. Slowly at first….then a little faster. I looked down into her face. I lightly kissed her eyelids, the bridge of her nose. I stroked her a little faster. I felt Sookie starting to relax. She opened her lega a little wideras I cradled her, the friction building between us.

I stopped moving again and gave her a deep kiss, moving my tongue languidly into her mouth. I felt the last of the tension leave the small of her back. I stroked her again and again, after a minute coming up on my elbows for leverage, my arms supporting me as we looked into each other's eyes.

Deeper and deeper inside her with every passing minute. She became wetter and wetter as her chanel fully opened to me. The rigid tightness was softing, melting against the head of my rod. We paused, kissed each other, as I made her mine. Over and over again.

The fire roared beside us as we made love.

Truly, she was made for me, I thought. It was a dream from which I would never again awaken. The more I had of Sookie, the more I wanted. My mind slipped and reeled down,then came back up again. There was utter darkness, then blinding light. I pressed my lips, my nose into the small space just underneath her ear, pulled her close to me and reveled in the scent of her. The ecstasy of being with Sookie was new, but somehow was strangely familiar. Lost and found.

Together we were glorious.

Sookie held on to me, her legs coming up on either side of my hips as I ploughed down, taking her with any resistance now. Her hands groping to caress my bottom. And then to my surprise, she pushed her head up, offering me her throat.

"_Do it!" _she whispered, her voice hoarse with passion; "Do it. I want you to!"

I looked down at her inviting throat, the vein the alabaster vessell that I could not resist. The thing that held even more pleasure for me, now magnified ten-fold because it was not just any one. It was Sookie.

With absolutely no willpower left in me, with Sookie's pleas for me to feed on her, I reared back then came down, sinking my fangs deeply into Sookie's throat. I had licked only a small amount of her blood before, but had never tasted her like this.

Completely with dangerous abandon as we fucked. Sookie's blood was so extraordinary, the danger was in mixing the two. The bite and the sex. I never wanted either to stop.

I griped Sookie tightly, held onto her as if I were a drowning man. I was drowning.

I sucked her sweet nectar as I came inside her.

The sweetest, most delicious blood I had ever tasted from any human being.

And I had to wonder why? Why?

cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccccc ccccccccccccccccccccccccc

There had been a time when I was hoping for peace. Hoping for absolution.

Hoping for hope.

But then all of that had drifted away.

I did not know why Lorena had not returned to look at me , only moments from the True Death. She was after all my maker. I was dying at her own hands, but wasn't she supposed to be with me at the end?

Maybe it was because she did not want to see the further mess that Cooter and his female companion had made of me. After torturing me for hours, Lorena had consented for those two to suck the blood right from the incisions that she had made.

I suspected Lorena had allowed them to do this, as she did not possess the courage to end me herself.

But I was still alive.

I had no idea how long I had been lying there. It seemed to me the morning had come and gone. What did it matter?

My mind had found its refuge in the past. In a long ago sweltering nightscape, when I had sat among humans at a simple Friday night drive-in. Sookie was there.

And later, in a forest campground, where I had found a little girl who had been lost and had almost died. Sookie was there.

And later still…I thought of my angel, my miracle, Sookie…..and her very first time.

I thought of how she had trusted me.

I thought of her, as I lay on the slave quarters floor. Each of those memories, were the best memories I could hold. Golden times that I had come across time and space to know.

Across time and space to love…..and be loved by Sookie. And for a time, when I was with her, my soul had soared above the eagles' nests. I had truly felt God's presence.

While I thought of this, I suddenly realized I could no longer feel Sookie's despair. I no longer had that alarm going off inside me that she was unprotected in Russell's house.

I could no longer feel her fear. And for one wild moment, I thought the worst thing had happened. That Sookie had died before me.

But then…..I began to feel some hope. Not any hope for myself. But a spark, a surge of hope….coming from _Sookie!_

That feeling went right down through me like liquid fire, warming my bones somehow and settling inside of me like a tiny life force, a tiny ball of energy. But even so I was still so weary, I could not force my eyes open.

I heard a door opening, then banging shut.

Then I felt someone's presence kneeling close beside me and shaking my left arm.

"_Bill? Please…..say something'! Please don't be dead! Not after everything we've been through!" _

I managed to force myself out of the stupor when I recognized her voice. I found the strength to open my eyes and look at her. Was it really Sookie leaning over me?

"Sookie….?" I said unsurely. Was I seeing a vision? She smiled at me with tears in her eyes.

"_I'm gonna get you outta here. I'm gonna make you well, if it's the last thing I ever do!" _

I stared at her. After a moment, I knew I was not dreaming. I could not believe that Sookie was beside me. I still was not completely sure. I gave a little grunt, as her words to me sunk in.

How? I thought. How is she even her? And how could she ever help me?

"_Because I love you, Bill Compton! I am not about to let you go!" _

With whatever strength I had left, I looked up into Sookie's face, the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Somehow I knew she was right. I knew we would be together again.

Maybe not that minute…or that hour…or even that day.

But our time will come…

_~the end~ _


End file.
